Resurrection
by Roc Lammergeier
Summary: Midna gets sent back to Hyrule by the Goddesses and has to travel to the Underworld with a few strange compnions.  Awesome horse involved.
1. Chapter 1: Despair

Chapter 1

Despair

I looked out the long, narrow, open window in my sitting room. The sky outside the palace was an ethereal, hazy gold interlaced in a network of soft, black clouds. It was accented by the small rectangles of loose matter that forever fell here in my realm like rain. _I miss the rain,_ I thought, sighing. Below my high window in the stone streets, my people, the Twili people, strolled aimlessly. One, however, was carrying a Sol, the source of light in my realm, probably relocating it to light another section of the palace. The ball of light lit the surrounding stone, and the faces of the passing Twilis all turned to gaze at it for a moment before turning back to their paths. I glimpsed a Shadow Kargarok, a black bird-like creature, land at the edge of the street, and a Twili official dismounted.

I found myself recalling memories of capturing and riding a Shadow Kargarok in Hyrule, going upriver from Lake Hylia through caves and valleys, dodging enemy fire while avoiding stalagmites and stalactites. I smiled to myself. But then I remembered the other passenger. Link. In wolf form, like when I found him in the cell in Hyrule Castle, a manacle and length of chain still attached to his forepaw. The smile disappeared. Link. I looked away from the window, from the memories.

I stood up abruptly, not remembering I had been sitting. My lady-in-waiting (I had a lady-in-waiting?) looked up, startled, her red eyes full of surprise and apprehension. _Krili_, her name was Krili, a distant cousin of mine, from another part of Twilight. I walked slowly to my full-length mirror. _Why did I have a mirror put in my sitting room, anyway?_ I wondered, looking critically at my reflection. Despair overwhelmed me, shriveling my heart in my chest. How I missed… no, I must not think of that. But my hands still reached up, pulling the firm flesh under my eyes down. No wrinkles. _Ten years. Ten years and I still look the same. I wonder what he… No._ I pushed those thoughts away, again. _I should at least have wrinkles, just like the humans in Hyrule._ Of course, Link wouldn't have wrinkles yet. He had been younger than I had by decades. _ I am old,_ I thought suddenly.

"Have you ever seen a human, Krili?" the question came out before I could stop it, scaring Krili and myself with the enquiry.

"My lady?" she asked, confused.

"Nothing," I said absently. I wondered what she thought of my random questions. I sometimes wondered if she could think at all. Hesitantly, I wondered, "Krili, how old do you think I am?"

"Oh, my lady, I couldn't say—"

"How old do you think I am?" I demanded._ Ladies. They never give you a straight answer._

She paused, considering. I waited, arms crossed against my chest. "By your appearance, my lady," Krili began. "I'd say you were only twenty years of age. But, everyone in the kingdom knows you are much older than that. My lady."

I closed my eyes and nodded. "I am much older than twenty, Krili. I am so old I have lost track of the years." What I didn't mention was that I had stopped counting after twenty. Time passed slowly in Twilight. It seemed only days since I was crowned Princess, but it really had been… fifteen? Maybe fifteen years, that's how long I had been a princess. I knew that Princess Zelda, ruler of Hyrule, was even older than I was. She was so old that her mentors from her childhood were ghosts.

I scanned the chamber. The dark gray stone of the wall was unadorned except for the patterns of lines that carried power from area to area. They were beautiful in a strange, eerie way, but after years of living inside them, they were nothing to me except lines. There were stone chairs, draped in black fabric with the line patterns embroidered on them in a bright bluish green. I suddenly found myself weary of this room.

"I am going out on my balcony, Krili," I again broke the silence.

"But, my lady, it is so late—"

"Krili, I am going out on my balcony."

"Yes, Princess Midna. Of course."

I hated being forceful with my ladies, but they were so different from me. I knew that, behind my back, they whispered to each other about how strange I was. I did not punish them, for what they said was true. They were simple folk, the typical Twili people. They led drab lives, living long and doing nothing. Most had no ambition, and were content to wait for life to come to them. Of course, there were always exceptions, like Zant, who had been a member of the court in my parents' time as well as a relative. He had usurped me ten years ago with the help of the evil, manipulative Ganondorf. My temple pounded in pain. I had not wished to recall those memories.

I walked through the sitting room to an antechamber, and then through a set of double doors made of glass out onto the balcony. The same balcony, I recalled bitterly, where Zant had transformed me into an imp, and my adventure to Hyrule began. Today, however, all was quiet and serene. I walked to the railing and peered into the husky sky beyond. Far away, other cities were suspended in the sky, like my palace, carrying on in their slow, dream-like state. No one in Twilight had the longing, or the boredom, that I felt constantly. It had all been Ganondorf's fault, but he was dead. Then I remembered that Link had been the one who had made me like this. He had sacrificed himself time after time. It made made me angry and sad at the same time. He had saved me. Several times, in fact. But still, he had thought me no more than a friend, instead choosing Ilia, that wench. He had loved her since before he had become a wolf, before all of this happened. And he had saved her.

I had been his shadow at the time. They had looked at each other with that deep passion and love that only lovers can share. I felt my heart clench in hate. I had loved Link, I still did, in fact, but he had chosen Ilia over me. Not that I blamed him. I had never told him my feelings. I was about to, before I left Hyrule…

_We were standing in the Mirror Chamber, the Mirror of Twilight beckoning me home. I turned to Link and Zelda. _

"_Well… I guess this is farewell, huh?" I asked. "Light and shadow can't mix, as we all know. But… Never forget there's another world bound to this one," I said sadly. _

_Zelda looked me straight in the face. "Shadow and light are two sides of the same coin…," she said. "One cannot exist without the other." She paused, "I know now the reasons the Goddesses left the Mirror of Twilight in this world… They left it because it was their design that we should meet. Yes… That is what I believe." _

_I stood, contemplating her words, and then turned to them again. "Zelda… Your words are kind, and your heart is true. If all in Hyrule are like you… Then maybe you'll do alright." I kept my eyes downcast, the sudden sadness of leaving friends pressed close in my chest. I walked to the platform, and the stairs leading up to the portal appeared with a magical chime. "Thank you…," I said sincerely, speaking more to Link than Zelda. _

"_Well, the princess spoke truly: as long as that mirror's around, we could meet again…" I closed my eyes, steeling my nerves. "Link…," I began. I shed a tear of light, and reached up to stop its path in the air. "I…" I pushed the tear towards the mirror. But, as usual, I lost my nerve, not telling him what I truly felt. "See you later…" The Mirror of Twilight cracked; both Link and Zelda turned to wonder at it. Link turned back to me, gasping, grasping what I was doing. I sprinted up the stairs, but paused on the threshold of the portal, turning back bravely. Light beamed at me from the mirror, carrying me into the portal. I held Link's eyes for as long as I could, until I had turned completely into tiny particles of light, and was sucked into the portal to Twilight. I faintly heard the Mirror of Twilight break as my scattered particles rearranged themselves in my realm. I knew I would never meet Link again._

I found myself crying as I pulled away from the last memory of Hyrule, of Link. I brushed the tears away, ashamed and embarrassed. A light in the corner of my vision caught my eye. I turned, to find the light intensify, almost blinding me. I shielded my eyes with my robed arm. I could dimly make out three feminine figures, gracefully spinning in a circle in a majestic, divine way in the dim sky in front of me. They didn't get closer, but somehow grew larger, their light radiating painfully, yet beautifully. Their faces were perfectly formed, looking almost as if they were chiseled out of stone. It didn't look like they had pupils in their bright eyes, but then again, it was hard to tell. They wore form-fitting dresses, with skirts that fanned out like flower petals. Their hair was ornately done, and yet looked so simple, too. They had no color to them; only that blinding, bright light.

They spoke, three awesome, terrible, beautiful voices combining in to one chorus of harmony and raw beauty, but their mouths didn't move. I could feel the air vibrate with their power, their unity. _"Princess Midna, we have come to save you, and our people."_ I stood dumbly, mouth agape. _The Goddesses of Hyrule!_ I thought to myself. _But what are they doing here? _ However, before I could figure it out, I found myself on the hard, cold stone of the balcony, writhing in a pain I had never thought existed. My skin felt like it was peeling off to reveal my flesh. Everywhere. My muscles tightened, stretched, pulled, tore, and reformed. All my bones felt like they were being melted. Dimly I recalled being bathed in a bright white light, but soon darkness enveloped me.

I knew my mind had separated me from my body to save myself from the pain, but I wondered if the Goddesses had put me in this nothingness. It wasn't really darkness; it was a peaceful nothing. It was neither hot, nor cold, nor dark, nor light. It simply was. I rested comfortably there, forgetting my troubles, my memories, and myself. A Goddess came to me there, radiating a soft red within the white light of divinity. She reached for me, gently brushing my consciousness. I felt something imprint onto me, but I could not draw my focus from the Goddess. Her eyes looked into me, and she handed me a red velvet pouch. _"To bring life to the dead," _she explained to me. I conveyed to her a sense of vague understanding, and she smiled. It was a terrible smile, one that chilled me and warmed me. It wasn't that it was evil; it was _life_, it was _power_. It was the smile of one who can do anything, whose job it was to keep the balance in the world.

I did not know how long I stayed there, in nothingness. It could have been years, or minutes. But I knew I didn't want to ever wake up. I wanted to stay there, forever. But all good things come to an end. I just never realized how quickly they do.


	2. Chapter 2: Realization

Chapter 2

Realization

I woke to a splitting headache, sunlight burning my eyelids. _Sunlight?_ I refused to acknowledge what my mind was trying to tell me. I tried vainly to return to the nothingness by keeping my eyes shut, by willing to return. But to no avail. I kept my eyes closed for a few more seconds, but the light grew brighter.

My eyelids flitted open. I was lying on my back, staring at the high, moss-covered, rock ceiling of a cave. Thick branches splattered overhead, almost sparkling from the bright light refracting on the tiny droplets of dew I knew were there; a network of curving lines, much like the line patterns of Twilight, glowed a bright blue on the branches. In the back of my head, I heard the joyous, majestic, and yet sad symphony that often implied the presence of a Light Spirit. I groaned. I was in Hyrule.

I forced myself into a sitting position, awakening pain throughout my poor, abused body. A giant celestial being floated in the air above a spring of sparkling water. It appeared to be a divine snake, and shone with a watery, bright white light. Unlike the Goddesses, its light did not burn me. I grimaced.

"All right. This is a dream, right?" I asked the Light Spirit.

"_This is not a dream, Princess Midna. You are here so I can help you recover and readapt," _said Lanayru, the Spirit of this spring, a deity of the Hylians.

"Sure, Lanayru. Of course. Now, I'm going to pinch myself and I'll wake—" I paused, staring as I started to shake. I had lifted my right hand up to pinch myself. It was not the pain of moving my stiff joints that gave me such a shock. It was the color of my hand. Instead of my normal grayish blue, my hand was a creamy tan. I scanned my forearms for the bright bluish green line patterns that also decorated my arms, but they were the same creamy tan color. The realization of what had happened to me hit me like an ice-cold bucket in my stomach. I couldn't breathe. I doubled over, my face pressed against the soft, green grass, about to be sick. Black dots swarmed my vision. I was a _human_!

"No," I said quietly, not accepting this. I did not want to be a human. I wanted to go back to my realm, back to being a Twili princess. I didn't care what I had thought earlier, about how my life was so boring. I wanted it to be boring. I didn't want everything I knew to be wrenched away from me yet again. "NO!" I screamed at Lanayru, at the world. I would _not_ take my transformation quietly.

"_Midna, it is for the good of both Hyrule and Twilight that you are—"_

"_I don't care_!" I screamed at him. "I don't _want_ to be a human! I had a life! I had everything!"

"_Did you?" _Lanayru asked calmly. He had been one of the more cautious, conservative Light Spirits. He was also one of the wiser ones. _"Were you really that happy when you left Twilight?"_

His question put an end to my tantrum, but not to my anger. "No, I was not happy," I admitted. "But neither will I be here. I will not stand by and be a puppet to the Goddesses' will. I'm going back to Twilight, human or Twili."

"_As you wish."_ And with that, the Light Spirit flashed and faded, leaving the spring in a calm, serene state. The blue lines had vanished along with Lanayru. My anger smoldered inside me. I seethed with it. It scared me, yet it gave me strength to work through the pain.

Curiosity along drove me to the edge of the rocky outcrop overlooking the spring. Deep in my subconscious, I had to know what I looked like as a human. I peered over the edge as far as I dared, looking down onto the mirror-like reflection of the water. What I found surprised me. My new form was more flattering than my imp form had been. My face held the same narrow, tear shape. My nose looked almost identical to what it had been, excluding its color. I still had the same eye shape, and the same thin, black eyebrows. My small, puckered lips were a reddish pink. I admired my eye color. Where once my irises had been red, now they were a deep brown flecked with red, black, and orange. But what really caught my interest were my tattoos. As a Twili, I had had black tattoo-like coverings over my chest, my upper arms, and my left leg. Now, an intricate black tattoo of jagged points and curves ran from my right leg, up my side, back down my upper right arm, onto my shoulder, up through the right side of my face, and up to my forehead. I gingerly touched it, awed. But as I studied my hair, I lost all pride. My once beautiful orange hair, highlighted with red and yellow, had streaked with black from the roots. Most of my hair was black with streaks of orange. Where once it had been tame and curvy, it now bent sharply away from my face, almost framing it in a vicious, dangerous way. It had grown thicker and longer, bunched in a pointy, thick tail that moved in the opposite direction that I did, heavily swinging from side to side. Loose, angular tresses fell to cover my shoulders. My gorgeous, gentle hair had been turned into a sharp mess of mane.

Twili don't wear many clothes. We aren't indecent; we just don't care. As a human, however, it was very inappropriate to be seen without clothes on. The Goddesses, apparently, had supplied clothes for me. I wore a sleeveless, black tunic made of coarse Ordon goat hair, laced up the back. It fit snugly; I had too many curves for it to slide. It fitted perfectly under my armpits, with no risk of falling down. I was also equipped with a pair of olive green trousers that went down past my knees. They were also made of Ordon goat hair. And they had… pockets! One bulged with something. I reached into it, and drew out a red velvet pouch. Briefly, I recalled the visit the Goddess had made me in unconsciousness. I stuck the pouch back in my pocket, but my fingers brushed something else. I pulled it out. It was a jagged piece of something similar to rock, inscribed and glowing with orange lines of power. I remembered this from my first adventure here in Hyrule: Link had lunged at Zant while he was holding a sphere of power, and it had lodged itself in his head, trapping him in the body of the Sacred Beast, the wolf. After he had saved me, we went to find the Master Sword, which drove the shard out of his head and returning him to his human form. I had kept it, using it to shift Link into a wolf whenever he wished. I had not remembered having it on me when the Goddesses came, but I was learning they worked in strange ways. It was looped on a leather thong. Mumbling a few curt words of thanks, I slipped the thong over my head and worked it over my hair to hang on my neck.

I sat for a few moments, thinking about what my next move was. I needed to get back to Twilight, I knew that much. Perhaps… I decided it quickly. I would visit a good friend of mine here, and hoped she would be willing to help me. She had helped, last time, and had worked hard to return me to Twilight. But, she had also needed to save her own realm. Now that there was peace in the land, I wondered if she'd be so eager to help.

I pushed myself painfully to my feet, swaying just a bit before regaining my balance. I turned around, and headed out the mouth of the cave to Lake Hylia. Lake Hylia: it was beautiful, the waves lapping gently on the rock ledges, the water glinting in the sunlight. There were two ways that I knew of to get up to Castle Town, my destination. I could either pay for a cannon ride (which I couldn't do, because of my lack of money and the wound to my pride), or summon a Kargarok to take me the long way there. I really didn't want to do either. There was another way… I could warp there, using my Twilight powers. But I didn't know, and didn't suspect, if I had them. I knew that humans didn't often have powers, since I knew only two.

I sighed, deciding that I would try my powers, and hope for the best. It would be beneficial if I knew what I could do, and what I couldn't. I reached inside myself, searching desperately for the shadowy power that I had once claimed. And, there it was! Like a black river, the power flowed through me. It was drained, probably because of my transformation. But I had them; that was all that mattered.

I heaved a sigh of relief. Grabbing a tendril of power, I mentally thrust it to the portal near Castle Town. I found myself turned into specks of matter, and then thrust together before the stone walls of Castle Town. I felt drained and tired. Warping had cost me a lot more than it used to. Was it because I was a human? I dismissed the thought; right now, I had more pressing issues.

I walked calmly across the wooden bridge that led to the town, no one passing me. Castle Town was the same as I remembered it. There was a stable to my right as I walked in, housing mostly Ordon goats, mixed with a few horses. The same old man stood near the door of the priory, asking for alms and donations. I entered the town square, still packed with bustling, busy people rushing about. Stone shops ringed the fountain in the center of the plaza. To my right, the entrance to Hyrule Castle stood like a gaping mouth. I turned to it, purposefully striding toward it. I noticed people glancing nervously in my direction, even some men openly staring. Walking through the small, stone entryway, I approached the giant doors to the castle. The two guards that always stood there looked me over, reached for their swords, thought better of it, and waved me through.

There was a small stream of people entering the huge, smooth-stoned castle. Its turrets towered over the surrounding landscape, visible for miles. It was a daunting place. I followed the stream inside, to the entry. It was a huge room with a high ceiling, filled with chandeliers that cast a warm glow. I remembered the castle when Link and I had broken in to save Zelda and defeat Ganondorf. This time, however, there were no monsters, and no locked doors, blocking me from the throne room.

It was a large, open room near the top of the castle. The throne room was gilded stone, like the rest of the building. Massive stone columns lined either side of the room, and a blue carpet led to the throne. The floor was paved in massive blocks of marble. The surface was sleek; all the blood and gore that might have been left from Link's battle ten years ago had been scrubbed off. I had been knocked unconscious before he had fought Zelda when she had been Ganondorf's puppet. I had come to after, and had driven Ganondorf from her body using the Fused Shadows. Ever since I had returned to Twilight, I had regretted leaving them in this world. It wasn't that I wanted power; on the contrary, I didn't want anyone else having that power. The power of the Fused Shadows belonged to my people, so they rightly belonged in my realm. I saw Princess Zelda seated elegantly on her large, red throne underneath a large statue depicting the Triforce symbol, the three Goddesses of Hyrule circling it. Scowling, I noted the resemblance between the Goddesses and their interpretations.

At least, I observed, I wasn't the only one that didn't age. Zelda looked as young as she did ten years ago. Today, she wore a blue bodice over a pale grey skirt, embroidered in sliver thread. Her pauldrons were were embossed silver, as were her jewelry and coronet. Her warm brunet hair hung loose except for two strands, wrapped in silver ribbon and draped across her shoulders. She wore gloves, the same color as her skirt, which covered her arms up to her bodice. She was listening intently to a petitioner, nodding appropriately and absorbing every word, her blue eyes ablaze with passion. It always amazed me how good of a ruler she was, caring about every blade of grass in her kingdom. Some bustled about on errands; others strolled leisurely, only here to glimpse their beloved princess. Only a few were lined up to petition the kingdom. I moved to the side, to some chairs set up for visitors. I had plenty of time to wait, and I had learned in the last decade to control my impatience.

The next hour was a bore. After the rest of the original petitioners had had their demands contemplated, a frantic commoner had run in, spilling out his story. Then more had come in. Of course, no one paid attention to the tattooed girl in the shadows. I waited, grinding my teeth. Finally, after the last desperate man left, his shoulders bowed, I approached the throne.

Princess Zelda was leaning toward her chamberlain, looking over his notes and adding comments. She didn't notice me approach. I bowed formally, being the polite servant to not draw attention to myself. "Your highness," I spoke.

Zelda stopped talking to her chamberlain, her mouth agape in mid sentence. She slowly turned her head toward me, not believing what her ears told her. I had a very conspicuous, high voice. Raising my head to look her in the face, I met her eyes as they widened in shock.

"Midna? Midna!" Zelda rose and embraced me like a sister. "What… what are you doing here? How did you get here? Goddesses, what _happened_ to you? You look… different," she stood me at an arm's length away, looking me over critically. "You're too thin," she said bluntly.

"Thanks," I said facetiously. "And to your other questions, well, it's a long story."

"Isn't it always?" she asked wistfully. "Lord Chamberlain," she said formally, looking at him, "Please find my seneschal and request that a room be made up for my dear friend."

"Of course, your highness," the chamberlain bowed and left. Zelda turned to me again.

"Come, we shall go to my chambers and talk," she told me, smiling. I couldn't help but smile back as she grabbed my arm and led me to her rooms.


	3. Chapter 3: Subdual

Sorry everybody for not getting back to you… I'll try to as soon as possible!

Chapter 3

Subdual

Zelda lounged on a sofa in her sitting room, the room where she had given her life to save me. I paced in front of her window, which offered a commanding view of her kingdom. I had told her my story, including all my secret emotions. She had remained silent, absorbing every word. I was now waiting for a verdict.

"So," she began quietly. "You need to get back to Twilight."

I stopped pacing and spun to face her. "And how do you propose I do that?"

Silence. Then, "We shall have to fix the Mirror of Twilight."

"Well, that's easier said than done. Actually, I don't know if it _can_ be done."

"If what you say is true," Zelda said hesitantly, "then the Goddesses must have a way to return you to your world. They can't just leave you here." She paused, "Can they?"

"If they turned me into a human and dumped me here, then why not?" I demanded. I didn't mean to snap; I had exhausted my supply of patience. Luckily, Zelda understood that.

"We have to try," Zelda insisted.

"And besides," I argued. "Even if we could fix it, I don't have enough power to. I'd need the Fused Shadows." Zelda paled considerably. I walked over to stand beside the sofa. "You do have the Fused Shadows, right?"

"Oh, no," Zelda muttered into her knees.

I sat on the couch next to her. "Zelda," I took her hand. It was several shades lighter than mine. "Where are the Fused Shadows?"

She took a deep breath, a little color returning. "We left them," she said, eyes closed, whether in fear of my reaction or in concentration I couldn't tell. "We left them where Ganondorf dropped them. We didn't remember how much pain and suffering they had caused; we only grieved and set order to Hyrule. I— I am so sorry, Midna," she met my eyes.

I got up and walked to the window, releasing her hand. Looking out absently, I stated quietly, "We need to go get them."

I felt, rather than saw, Zelda nod. "When?"

"As soon as possible," I told her. She got up, getting her thoughts in order. Then, she walked into another room. I stood dumb, looking out but not seeing. _What happened to the Fused Shadows?_

Zelda walked back in, arms loaded. She laid it carefully on the vacant sofa, and cautiously approached me. I turned, my face expressionless. She held a sword in her hands, sheathed and cleaned. It looked familiar…

I took it from her hesitantly, the sword both awkward and reassuring. I pulled the sword out and gasped. I remembered this sword: I had commanded Link to steal it for me at the beginning of our adventure, when he had still been a wolf. It was the Ordon sword, crafted by Rusl, the blacksmith of Ordon Village, meant as a gift for Princess Zelda. Apparently, it had reached its destination.

While I had been in my memories, Zelda had equipped herself. She wore a quiver filled with arrows and held an ornate bow, and a sword hung from a thin belt she had clasped around her waist. "Did… did Link give this to you?" I asked her, gesturing to the sword I held. She nodded, handing me a spear. Once, the spear had been my weapon of choice. I strapped it to my back with some straps Zelda had supplied.

Walking back through the castle, we strode to an office, where her seneschal was discussing housing arrangements with a few servants. They stopped and bowed when Princess Zelda appeared in the doorway. The seneschal was a man in the prime of his life, with mouse brown hair peppered with gray. He had a slight limp and eyes like a hawk.

"Where is the marshal?" Zelda asked regally.

"Out in the stables, I believe, your highness," the seneschal said smoothly. He examined me for less than a moment, and bowed again as Zelda turned and walked out.

Court offices had always confused me, but I had drilled myself into remembering most of them. The chamberlain was the main advisor to royalty, and oversaw many various things. The seneschal ran the royal household, and the marshal took care of security and animals. It always amazed me that none of them ever vouched for power.

Another curiosity was the stabling arrangement. Instead of having her own stables, Zelda rented stalls from the local stables in Castle Town. She was one of the few people in Hyrule that owned horses. But of course, she hadn't had them before Ganondorf had tried to usurp her.

People parted as Zelda and I walked into the blazing sunshine of Castle Town. They stared, they gaped, they whispered amongst themselves. I walked to her left, only slightly behind her, as etiquette dictated. The cool water of the fountain looked appealing in the midday heat. I could only wonder what Zelda felt like, covered neck to toe in swabs of cloth, while I was dying of heat in my loose tunic and trousers.

She pushed the stable doors open, unquestioned. I followed her, my eyes adjusting to the dim light. Ordon goats filled the first few stalls, their vicious, striped horns polished and threatening. The horses resided in the back. A man was kneeling in a stall with a ewe and kid, examining it while the mother looked on wearily. He jotted down something before he noticed our presence.

"Princess," he stood and bowed. "Forgive me for not noticing you earlier. What may I do for you?"

"My friend and I require horses," Zelda requested.

"As you wish," the marshal bowed again and rushed off to find the stable hands.

We approached the horses, the magnificent animals lifting their proud heads in greeting. They varied from stocky, strong drafts like Epona, Link's horse, to sleek, shiny coursers. The colors also greatly varied. There were bays, chestnuts, blacks, grays, and roans. Zelda approached a beautiful, tall mare that was almost white with a touch of silver. She stroked her velvet muzzle, soothing the already calm horse.

"You may choose any horse from here," she told me, not looking away from her horse. I glanced around at the horses, searching for one that suited me. A splitting shriek and the sound of rocks striking wood drew me to a corner stall.

Grooms rushed out from seemingly nowhere, holding the door. I drew closer. The stall was almost a giant wooden box, except for a door that had four latches on it. Metal bars braced it. Another shriek, and the stall rattled from a heavy kick.

"Except that one," Zelda said, appearing by my shoulder.

"Why not?" I asked, imagining what beast they had to keep under lock and key.

"That was Ganondorf's horse," she said quietly. "You were not there, so you do not remember what a monster he was. He went down with Ganondorf, but later we found him attacking some bokoblins. He was a menace, but I took pity on the horse. He could not help being created by Ganondorf."

"You took pity on him?" I raised an eyebrow. "And locked him in a box?"

Zelda shrugged slightly. I rolled my eyes. Though I didn't know a lot about horses, I suspected Zelda knew less. I decided I didn't care what Zelda said about this horse. I think she realized that too by the look in her face. Gathering my courage, I approached the stall and undid the latches. Silence, in and out of the stall. I cracked the door open slightly. A huge muzzle met my nose, sniffing me slightly. Lips rose to reveal two sharp, curved canines and well as some powerful-looking molars. He snorted in my face, so I snorted in his nose. The stallion drew back. He regarded me with a glowing red eye, head raised disdainfully. He was huge, black, and monstrous. Blood-crusted armor protected his neck and back. I figured the grooms had been too scared of the beast to remove it. His mane and tail were a duller red, and his hooves were the size of dinner plates.

Without warning, the stallion charged me. Shying my fear, I put a hand in front of me and stared him in the eyes. He stopped inches from my hand and started backing away with awkward, fearful steps. I smiled grimly. Taking a step forward, I commanded him sternly. "Back!" And he backed away, keeping me in sight. I cornered him, nerves on edge in case he attacked me. He shied his head, but eventually I was able to press my hand against his muzzle. A flash, and I saw the Triforce symbol tattooed on my hand. It glowed, flowing onto the horse. Submissively, he bowed his head to his new master.

Zelda raced in, ignoring the imposing stallion and instead examining my hand. "Incredible," she breathed. "You have been chosen by the Goddesses, Midna! You are the new hero!" she told me, her voice low enough that only I could hear her. I shook my head.

"I'm no hero, Zelda. I never have been." All my adrenaline left me. I felt empty without it. I faced the grooms. "Get me a brush and some new tack!" I ordered them. They rushed to obey, awestruck. "Zelda, could you help me remove this armor? It'll go faster with two people."

Zelda smiled benignly. "Of course."

It was a horrible task; the leather straps fastening the armor were crusty with dried blood and dirt. We eventually had to cut most of the leather off. The stallion had horrible, gigantic, angry red saddle sores on his back and stomach from having a saddle on _for ten years_. I was able to halter him and lead the obedient horse to a wash stall to clean him off. We rubbed ointment on his sores and bound the worst. The grooms brought a plain leather bridle and a padded saddle blanket; I would ride without a saddle until his sores healed. His mane and tail were so matted we were forced to cut it off. Zelda was, luckily, quite adept with shear and managed to give him an imposing mane.

Soon, we were ready to leave. The grooms had saddled Zelda's mare while we had been working on the stallion. We led the horses through Castle Town, to the western exit, and out onto the bridge before we mounted. She and I discussed where the Fused Shadows might be. According to Zelda, Ganondorf had broken them and let them fall right before they battled on horseback.

"Hyrule Field, then," I said. "But, if they're broken, why are we doing this?"

She paused. "Just because the Fused Shadows themselves are broken doesn't mean their power is."

I nodded, shifting slightly on the large stallion. He was easily taller than Epona. We cantered through the small tunnel connecting Castle Town to Hyrule Field. It was as big as I remembered it, the waves of grass billowing in the slight breeze. There was one change: there was now a small, walled encampment nestled between two panels of original wall from some long forgotten time. It resembled a fort in some ways, but acutely reminded me of the bulblin camp Link and I raided in the Gerudo Desert. We rode slowly, keeping a crawling trot. Of course, the bulblins were smart enough to build a fort with corner sentry towers in an area where no one could launch a raid.

"Why is that thing there?" I hissed at Zelda.

"They weren't hurting anyone, and there was only the occasional raid. However, they were getting more and more active recently." Zelda didn't look at me. I noticed her scanning for sentries.

"There will be bulblin sentries on each tower. More will be down below, some on the gate. Is this where the Fused Shadows are?"

Zelda shrugged. "You are the one with— with those powers. Feel for them."

I gave a tiny nod and closed my eyes. Spreading my senses, I _felt_ the dark, evil lure of the Fused Shadows. They were here, faintly. They almost felt… _buried_. It wasn't that the Fused Shadows themselves were evil; evil beings often got attracted to their power. Being of the royal household of Twilight, I didn't feel that temptation. Or at least, I thought I didn't.

"They're here," I stated bluntly.

She pulled out her bow, combining it with a Hawkeye. I raised my eye skeptically. "Malo Mart," she explained. I mouthed an "_oh_." Knocking an arrow, she aimed and fired with precision. I saw a dark blob fall from a tower. Three more shots, and the towers became unmanned. The fort went into an uproar.

"Now," I signaled quietly. Zelda nodded.

I spurred the stallion into a gallop, charging at the gate in front of me. Zelda followed, but my horse quickly out-distanced her. The gate sentries saw me, but Zelda dispatched them quietly with her arrows. I unsheathed my sword. As we neared the gates, my adrenaline got the better of me. I let out a battle cry, one that Zelda told me later people in Castle Town heard. A few yards from the barred gate, the stallion reared and trampled it, or rather jumped and trampled it. The timbers gave away easily underneath his weight. Bulblins filled the space between temporary buildings. I used my sword and hacked away at the mob. My stallion helped, kicking and biting and using his weight and size to crush the small, green goblin-like creatures. Eventually Zelda joined me, but I was so immersed in the battle to notice. I slew the last bulblin, looking around for another. It was silent except for Zelda's heavy breathing. I looked at her; she was staring at me, shocked and scared.

"What?" I asked calmly, raising an eyebrow.

"You fought like a legendary berserker," she pointed out, completely serious. I shrugged. But, a snort interrupted our rest. Not a human snort, but the smoking fury of a huge boar about to charge.

Zelda and I both swung our heads slowly. A huge, white bullbo, a boar-like creature that the bulblins often rode, regarded us with three giant, red eyes the size of saucers. He had three pairs of tusks, striped red and white, sharpened to a lethal point. Large canines protruded from his powerful jaws. _Lord Bullbo,_ I recalled from distant memories. Link and I had encountered him several times on our adventure, but he had been smaller, without the third eye and so many tusks. And always riding him was King Bulblin, a monstrous, giant, green bulblin that was at least five times the size of a normal bulblin, hence his title. Now, he was probably ten times larger. He had developed bulging muscles that were easily larger than my head and a third, red eye. He still wore his crown of tusks, but he also wore my Fused Shadow on his head. The other three he had fastened to his shoulders and chest, like armor. I gritted my teeth. _So that's where they went._

King Bulblin held a long spear, refashioned from his standard pole from a decade ago. He had tipped it with a lethal obsidian spearhead. He lowered this at me, dug his heels in Lord Bullbo, causing the beast to rear, and charged me. Within seconds, I analyzed how to defeat the pair. Since King Bulblin wore the Fused Shadows as armor, he had discovered that they possessed the power to protect the wearer, so attacking him would be futile. I recalled from Link's attempts at riding bullbos that once they were charging, they were extremely difficult to control. I also knew that the bullbo's tusks could easily kill the stallion or me. Or both of us. But, I also knew that the bullbo's third eye would be sensitive, and therefore a good target. I lowered my spear to meet his challenge.

It didn't work out as I planned. Urging the stallion into a gallop, I aimed him straight for the king. At almost the last second, I threw the spear at the bullbo's eye. It went wide, sticking up in the dirt. I managed to twist my stallion away from the wicked tusks, but the bulblin's spear grazed my left shoulder. Ignoring the pain, I maneuvered the horse around my spear, picking it up. We spun to face each other again. This time, I hit Lord Bullbo's eye. King Bulblin lost control of his mount as the boorish bullbo squealed in pain, flinging his head side to side, trying to dislodge the spear. Blood and eye fluid poured forth from the ugly wound, spilling onto the ground. The agonized bullbo attempted to close his eyelid, but the spear forced his eye open. After a minute of thrashing, the bullbo fell heavily to the ground. King Bulblin was thrown, landing painfully on his chest. He struggled to his feet and glared angrily at me before rushing back the way he had come and into a crude, wood building. I jumped off my stallion and rushed after him.

"Midna!" Zelda yelled after me. I had forgotten about her in the heat of battle. I spun around, ready to attack, before I realized it was her.

"What?" I demanded impatiently. I longed to race after King Bulblin.

She held up a gray, inscribed object. A Fused Shadow. It had fallen off the king when he had landed. There were cracks in it, probably from where Ganondorf had broken it, and the bulblins had tried to fix it. My irritation fading, I reverently walked back, snatching the Fused Shadow from her outstretched hands. She held it far from her, as if its touch would contaminate her.

At my touch, it became suspended in the air, spinning as if on display. With a touch of my power and a small flash of light, the cracks healed, and the Fused Shadow was complete again. I could feel the vibration of its ancient power, waiting for its brethren to reveal its full power to me. Reluctantly, I shrunk it and slid it into my pocket.

"Okay, now we go," I insisted.

"What about the horses?" she argued, nervous about chasing after the monsters tainted from the power of the Fused Shadows.

"They'll be fine. Let's go." And with that, I stomped off toward the wooden building.

"What about your arm?"

I stopped, examining it. It wasn't too deep of a wound; it had only grazed the flesh of the bottom of my shoulder, but it would leave a scar. It bled, not profusely, but enough that my arm was mostly coated in the sticky fluid. I shrugged as much as it would let me and began toward the door again. She followed me hesitantly.

It was the only real building in the fort, the rest being pitched cloth tents. The door was hanging open, one of its hinges broken. I swung it open and warily edged inside, expecting King Bulblin to be crouched in shadow, looming over me, waiting for the opportunity to attack me unexpectedly. Letting my eyes adjust to the change in light, I scanned the room thoroughly with my eyes, checking each corner multiple times. King Bulblin wasn't here. But then, where had he gone? I had seen him clearly, rushing into this building, thrusting the door open. Every nerve taut, I searched the room, sword out and ready. My muscles began to ache, but there was no giant green bulblin._ Where is he?_

Zelda appeared in the doorway, distastefully scanning like I had. I could tell by the look on her face that she was as confused as I was. Giving up, I started walking back to the door when I heard a hollow sound under my feet. I stopped dead. Looking down, I jumped on the floorboards. It sounded like there was air beneath it. Grinning dourly to myself, I knelt on my knees, examining the surface of the boards. Zelda came to peer curiously at me. Finally, my groping fingers found what I was looking for: a hidden, wooden latch. I pulled up, lifting the trap door open. It was a big door, and I was surprised I hadn't noticed it earlier. Zelda blinked incredulously.

There was a wooden ladder leading down to a dirt floor. I climbed down, not testing the rungs of the ladder. The wood was smooth, and relatively new, so I wasn't worried about it breaking underneath me. I found myself in a dirt tunnel, scrapped hollow as if it was a great badger's den, with none of the wooden supports that humans would have erected. Stones randomly poked through. I started walking, sword in hand. I distantly heard Zelda cautiously descending the ladder. She caught up with me, and we entered the tunnel complex.

The tunnel complex reminded me strongly of a temple. The walls were dirt, the floors were dirt, the ceiling was dirt, and the only light came from regularly spaced torches. The entry tunnel led to a chamber, where red, purple, blue, even a yellow Chu fell from the ceiling and attacked us. I glimpsed Zelda pull forth a jar from her dress and scrape up some blue Chu jelly. I raised an eyebrow, but made no comment. After we defeated the Chus, a chest appeared with a key in it. We proceeded, entering a confusing series of chambers, where we had to experiment with several levers and platforms until we found another key. We unlocked the next door, only to find ourselves in a large dirt corridor.

As soon as I took a step through that door, I knew something bad was about to happen. And I was right. Once we had stepped through, the door closed on us. Zelda twisted to look at it, startled, but I had known that was going to happen. King Bulblin appeared at the opposite end of the corridor, a giant axe in hand. I gritted my teeth and tried to appraise my situation. Zelda stood, paralyzed in fear. I turned to her.

"Zelda, I'm going to try and face him. Use your bow and aim for his back. His_ back_. That's the only part of him, besides his chest, that's unprotected. I'll go for his front. Understand?" I grabbed her shoulder. She nodded, mastering her fear.

I grasped my own fear and faced him. He met my gaze and started swinging his axe, daring me to approach him. I ran. I judged the timing just right, and slashed his chest twice before rolling through his legs. Then, I slashed his lower back until he spun around to face me. He had just enough room to do it in the corridor. I heard a dull _thunk_ as Zelda's arrow lodged itself in his flesh. I saw blood start to drip, from both the sword cuts and the arrow wound. The metallic tang of it reached my nostrils, but I ignored it. I rolled to the side, just in time to avoid a clumsy but powerful stroke of his axe. Rounding him, I struck him repeatedly, until he was able to face me. Slashing his front, I ran around him, turning his back to Zelda so she could shoot. This time when Zelda's arrow struck him, he fell over on his face. I nimbly stepped back to avoid his falling body. A Fused Shadow fell off his right shoulder. He struggled to his feet, swaggering like a drunkard before I could reach him to finish him. King Bulblin staggered back through the corridor, back the way he came. It might have been a trick of the dim lighting, but it seemed as if he had shrunk a bit. He didn't seem quite as large as he had before. And had I seen a bit of fat around his stomach?

I picked up the Fused Shadow, fixed it, and put it with its brother in my handy pocket. We continued on, our fear quelled slightly. We started to encounter a few, normal bulblins, as well as a plentiful supply of rats and various, vicious plants and animals. Some, I had never even seen before. There was, as always, several confusing puzzles that took both of us to figure out before we could move deeper into the tunnels. I had started to see root systems above us. The tunnels were extensive, going in all directions: north, south, east, west, right, left, straight, up, down, everyway. The next time a door closed on us, we both were prepared. But when we didn't see King Bulblin, we started getting nervous.

Why is it that almost all heroes forget to look up? It should have been obvious where King Bulblin was: The chamber we were in was extremely tall, and the floor space was not that large. I should have seen him, since he was right above us. Luckily, I saw his shadow and dragged Zelda out of the way. He was curled up, and landed heavily on the floor, but otherwise unscathed by his impact. He unfurled himself and jumped from side to side on the walls, reaching the ceiling and bracing himself as best he could by grasping roots. He had discarded his axe, and now planned to use his weight to crush us.

"Shoot him, and then run," I instructed Zelda. She gave me a curt nod.

Unfortunately, he had shifted the Fused Shadow from his shoulder to his chest. Zelda's first shot was aimed too near it, and the arrow was deflected by the power of the Fused Shadow. I ducked for cover, unable to attack him. The next time, she hit his shoulder, and the shock caused him to unroll. He landed on his chest, and I leaped up on his back and hacked away until he recovered. We repeated twice more before he gave up and fled, leaving the Fused Shadow from his chest behind. Again, I picked up the Fused Shadow, repaired it, and reunited it with the others.

"One more," Zelda observed.

I nodded mutely, wiping the sweat off my face. My hand came away bloody from the bulblin's blood. I finally realized there was nothing heroic or glamorous about this. I had to wonder if this was how Link had felt: exhausted, drained, and empty. I shook my head to clear my disturbing thoughts.

The doors opened, and we continued on. The maze of tunnels and chambers became more confusing and devious, until at last we discovered the big chest lodged in a tree root complex. Upon opening it, we received the big key, the key that would unlock the final door that would lead us to King Bulblin and the last Fused Shadow. By this point, I was extremely weary, and I could see Zelda's stance slackening by the demanding work. Her quiver had been almost empty, but we had found a few more arrows that the bulblins had made, pillaged, and stored. The Ordon sword was caked in dried blood. The door to the next chamber was slightly more difficult to access than its key had been, but eventually we figured it out. The large, heavy lock fell with a heavy thump on the ground as we turned the key. We swung the door open, and entered the dark abyss beyond as the door shut with a dull _thump_.

It was literally as black as night. Actually, it was blacker. We couldn't see a thing. I groped for a wall, spinning back around to the door and feeling for a corner. I found it near the doorway, and continued along the stretch of wall, testing each step as I went. I could hear Zelda's breathing as she steeled her nerves. Abruptly, the wall ended, and I blundered into a large, open chamber. As soon as I did so, torches flared up, revealing a horrifying sight.

There were skeletons randomly scattered along the walls. Not all of them were bulblin skeletons. There were goats, horses, birds, cats, dogs, even a few human skeletons. There was also a rotting, decaying goat corpse, partially eaten. Flies buzzed around it. Blood painted the lower walls and floor. It almost made me retch, but I held firm. King Bulblin towered over me, wearing the last Fused Shadow. My Fused Shadow, the one I had found in Twilight over a decade ago. However, he now wore metal armor over his arms, shoulders, and upper chest and back. He had his axe back, and was smirking at me quietly, trying to stare me down. I looked covetingly at the Fused Shadow. I could sense that the Fused Shadow was losing its power. I wondered if Zelda could shoot his third eye now…

Apparently, Zelda had the same idea. Ignoring the gore, she notched an arrow, took aim, and fired from the relative safety of the little hallway between the arena and the door. Sadly, her aim was off, and the arrow was deflected by the waning power of the Fused Shadow. Then King Bulblin noticed, and, enraged, he turned to her. He blundered to her. She cowered back, but he managed to grip her and drag the struggling Zelda out. I raced to them, starting to hack away at him with my sword, but to no avail. He flung her against a wall like a ragdoll, knocking her unconscious. She slid down, slumping near a skeleton of a dog and a horse. During it all, Zelda didn't scream. I have to give her credit; that Princess was brave.

I clenched my teeth in anger as King Bulblin slowly turned to face me. I backed up, putting room between him and me. So far, I knew two things about the fight that might keep me alive: duck his axe blow and avoid his hands. I had no desire to be thrown against a wall. But, the question remained: how was I to defeat him?

King Bulblin swung his axe at me. I ducked, and sprinted to where Zelda lay. She still clutched her bow. Prying this lose, I grabbed her quiver and ran with both. The king was still lumbering toward me, slow because he was so heavy. Sweat poured down his face. _It must be insufferably hot in his armor_. Knocking an arrow, I aimed for the red eye in his forehead. _Twang._ I loosed the arrow. Unfortunately, it wasn't true, and the Fused Shadow deflected it. He was too near me; if I took the time to knock another arrow, he'd reach me. So, I ran to the opposite side of the chamber. Again, I knocked an arrow, aimed, and fired, but it was too high, and it sailed harmlessly over his head. But I had misjudged the distance between us, and now he was almost upon me. I tried to flee, but he blocked my way. I whipped out my sword as he swung his axe. I parried, the impact jarring both my arms as I struggled to hold him back. He twisted his axe free, and I took the opportunity to roll around him and slash him from behind. He was slow, but I only got two good blows in his bloody back before he had wheeled around again to face me. I ran, far, far away, as far as I could get, even if that meant standing amongst the bones. I shot an arrow once again, and this time it impaled his eye. He fell to his knees with a wordless roar, attempting to pull the slender arrow out with his ungainly large hands. I charged towards him, sword raised and ready. Either he didn't see me, or he was too overcome with pain to raise a defense against me. Whatever the cause, I mercilessly thrust my blade into his chest, just beneath his armor. He gasped and leaned into the sword from the shock. I tried to pull my sword out, but the blade broke off, leaving me with the hilt. I tossed it aside and lifted the last Fused Shadow from his head.

As I healed it, the other three rose from my pocket and returned to normal size. They spun in a circle in front of me, their power thrumming with the ancient strength of my people. I raised them higher, adding my power to their own, willing them to fit together on my head in a helm-like crown that would allow me to use their entire power. But instead, they spun faster, gathering light to them as they spun, blinding me. And then, the light faded, leaving two slender, shining, sheathed swords in my hands. _The Swords of Twilight!_ I had heard legends of it as a child; every Twili child has. In the hands of the chosen, the Fused Shadows would forge into two powerful dual blades, rivaling the Master Sword of the Light Realm. I had never even considered the possibility of this happening, ever, let alone to me.

The scabbards were made of a supple black cloth, complete with belt straps. I slung the sheaths over each shoulder, so I could easily reach behind me to pull out the blades. This I did, to test the blades and to see what the legendary blades looked like. The dual blades came out easily, smoothly, making a ringing sound as they were pulled free. The swords were identical, the blades made of some unknown metal that shimmered both black and silver in the light. Their hilts were solid obsidian, their grips wrapped in strips of the same black cloth as scabbards. They were curved, the back of the blades dipping down slightly before rising into a wicked point. The edge split of into a lower point and continued to the true point. I tested the edge against my palm; the blade wasn't even a hair's width from my palm when it cut me. Bright greenish blue markings glowed along the riser, almost identical to the markings on the walls, doors, and clothing in Twilight.

"Wow," I heard myself gasp. Then, I was thrust back to the present.

Forgetting King Bulblin, I rushed over to Zelda's limp form, resheathing the Swords of Twilight as I went. Her chest was moving, so she was alive, at least. I wondered if she had a severe head injury. If she did, there would be little I could do for her.

"Zelda," I coaxed her, slapping her gently on her cheek. "Can you hear me?"

I saw her eyelids flutter in response. I slapped her a little harder, wishing desperately I had some water. "Zelda!"

"Hmm…" Her eyes opened slightly, and I could see her tongue moving in her mouth. "Midna?" she asked slowly.

"How bad are you hurt? Can you sit up?" I enquired, my immediate concern diminished by her awakening.

"My head hurts, my back hurts, my shoulder hurts… my everything hurts, actually. But I can sit up," she told me, not sarcastically. She used her arms to push herself in a sitting position. "Did you defeat him?"

"Look for yourself," I said, gesturing behind me to the kneeling king. "Oh, and sorry about your sword. Here's your bow back. And your quiver." I handed them back to her. She gingerly slung both on her least tender shoulder. "Let me help you up."

I put my arm around her and gently lifted her to her feet. "Think you can walk?"

"Yeah," she said meekly. I lowered my arm, watching her carefully lest she stumble.

We walked back to King Bulblin, slowly for Zelda. He was still alive, barely. He had lost a lot of blood from the numerous sword cuts on his back and chest. But now, he looked almost like he did a decade ago. He had more muscle now, but he still had a large gut and a round face. The third eye had vanished when the Fused Shadow's influence had been removed, and the arrow had fallen to the ground. However, the sword blade was still lodged in his chest. He looked up at me with his red eyes full of pain. I was a flash of recognition on his sweaty face when he saw me. He knelt before me in a pool of his own blood.

"Princess Midna," he managed after a moment of struggling. It still amazed me that a bulblin could speak.

"King Bulblin," I acknowledged him.

"You have… proven yourself the… most powerful. I am… now… your humble servant," he gasped. Bowing his head, he muttered, "You may… now execute me… for my sins against… you."

My brow furrowed. _Execute?_ I guessed that, since he had been a servant of Ganondorf and Zant, he felt that I had the right to kill him. I hesitated. Was it right to kill him? But then, he had lost so much blood, and he had a blade stuck in his chest, so he probably wouldn't live much longer. Should I just end his life honorably? I unsheathed a sword and positioned it over his neck.

"Midna!" Zelda hissed at me. I looked at her, and she gestured me over, away from the bulblin.

"What?" I asked, a little annoyed, most likely from the exhaustion.

"Don't kill him," she begged me.

This startled me. "Why not?"

"I — I have pity for him. He is only a servant to a more powerful person, and was drawn to the allure of power for himself," she explained, looking away from me.

"You have pity for everything, Zelda," I said bitterly, but I relented.

I returned to King Bulblin. He was still kneeling with his head bent, awaiting my deathblow.

I sighed exasperatedly. "Get up," I commanded him.

He looked up at me, surprised, but did as I commanded. Or at least, he tried to. He was so wounded, he almost toppled over. I cast my eyes up to the heavens, both pleading and cursing the Goddesses silently, and went to help him. I put my arm under his, and he put his over my shoulder. Zelda came over to his other shoulder, and together we hoisted him to his feet. I reached for my reserves of power, and with the help of the Fused Shadows, I opened a portal back to the entrance of the fort. There, our horses were waiting for us, as I said they would be. Lord Bullbo was also there, in pain, but otherwise returned to normal, his third eye gone, as well as most of his tusks. We dragged King Bulblin on his mount, tied his down securely with some rope we scavenged, and tethered the bullbo between our horses. Then, we headed back toward Hyrule Castle.


	4. Chapter 4: Depression

Sorry for not getting back to, well, anyone. I'm extremely busy and when I'm not, I'm dead tired. So, thanks for everyone's comments. This chapter doesn't have much action, but…

Author's Note: I actually really like Link. He's cool, even if in the games he's practically mute and always too willing to do anything. However, in _Twilight Princess_, you totally know he's going to end up with Ilia. And I _hate_ Ilia. With a passion. So,… sorry!

Chapter 4

Depression

Again, I paced in front of the window in Zelda's chambers. This time, however, I was anxious for another reason. We were awaiting the healer, who was now stitching up King Bulblin in a guest chamber. He had lost so much blood, the healer wasn't sure he'd live the day out. Surprisingly, I didn't want him to die; I had had enough of death for one day. And, I rather liked the big bulblin. In a strange, vague way that made no sense, of course.

Zelda was sleeping deeply on her couch. The healer had quickly checked her head for any injury, internal or external, but besides a large lump on the back of her head, she seemed fine. Exhausted from our adventure, she had almost immediately fallen asleep. I couldn't blame her; in fact, that was exactly what I wanted to do. But my adrenaline still coursed through me, keeping me awake. I knew that soon it would wear off, and I would be exhausted beyond exhaustion. At least I had the Fused Shadows. Now, I could go home.

The healer knocked on the door timidly. Zelda bolted up, startling me with her speed. She nimbly jumped to her feet, smoothed her skirts, and did her best to look regal. "Come in."

I didn't especially like the healer. He sweat heavily when talking to people casually. He was thin, tall, and a bit pale and sickly looking. But when he was practicing his trade, he was confident, clear, and sure, and every bit a healer. I could also tell that he didn't especially like me either from his sharp, dark side-glances at me. Zelda, however, held him in high esteem, and he basked in her glow. He was, admittedly, a brilliant physician.

"I have completed my work on the patient, your highness," he announced distastefully. He was offended by having a monster as his patient. _Jerk._

"Thank you, doctor. How is he?"

"It," he said pointedly, "is recovering comfortably in the guest room, your highness."

Zelda glowered at him. "He is my guest, and the lady's servant, so you shall treat him with respect."

"Of course, your highness," the healer bowed, and added, "We recovered the sword blade from _his_ chest. Do you wish to have the blacksmith repair it?"

Zelda contemplated. "Yes, have him do that."

"Is there anything else, your highness?"

"No, you are free to go attend to your other duties. We shall visit him later." The healer bowed again, and left, his face all the while impassive.

She turned to me, smiling wearily. "Well, I guess we should return you to Twilight."

I grunted, turning back to the window. "Something doesn't feel right."

"What do you mean?"

"Last time," I started, closing my eyes. "It was much harder to return."

"But last time," she countered. "Ganondorf was behind everything. Now, though, there is no evil mastermind manipulating everything. There's no one more to defeat. You can go home."

I stood and contemplated her words. Then, I opened my eyes and headed towards the door, where Zelda waited.

"Shall we take the horses?" Zelda politely offered.

"No, I can warp us there," I assured her, and took her hand.

Reaching for the stream of power, I supplemented my depleted stores with power from the Fused Shadows. Our particles broke apart, and then reformed together in the sandy Mirror Chamber. I wasn't as tired this time, and most of my power remained, just as I'd hoped. The chamber was just as I'd left it. The sight of the familiar place brought tears to my eyes. The sand floor was smoothed clean by the wind. One track of old footprints rested on the floor, almost worn away by the shifting sands. It was dusk outside, the stars just appearing over the fading light of the sun. The tall stone walls partly enclosed the chamber, allowing the world in, with its columns rising into the sky. The Mirror of Twilight lay shattered and scattered on the stone platform that it stood on. We walked up the stairs to it. The giant, black, flat stone stood in the sand in front of us, promising silently that it could take me home. I hoped it could.

Zelda looked at me, puzzled. "Now what?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea."

We went to stand by the Mirror stand. I hesitantly lay my hands against its side, unsure of what I was doing. "We'll need both the powers of light and shadow to fix the Mirror. Will you help me, Zelda?"

"Of course I'll help you. I already said I would." She walked to the other side and imitated my stance. I exhaled, gathering all my remaining power. I could see Zelda doing the same. Together, we imbued our combined power into the Mirror. A response; the Mirror was absorbing our power, preparing to heal itself. I allowed myself to hope for a moment. The energy was building in the Mirror. The shards of it began to tremble, drawn back to their frame. _I'm going home._ And then, nothing. The feeling was gone, and the world came back into focus. I met Zelda's shocked look. _What happened?_

Then we noticed the light above us. We looked up at the same time to see the Sages starring down at us from their perches on top of the columns. They bowed to Princess Zelda, and she in turn bowed to them. I shifted, feeling awkward, exhausted, and disappointed.

"_Hello, Princess Zelda, Princess Midna," _their speaker greeted us. Their free-floating masks still frightened me, sending a tremor down my back. _"Have you come to restore the Mirror of Twilight?"_

"Yes, of course we have," I snapped. "Why else would we be here?"

He shifted his blank stare to me, his face expressionless. _"You cannot fix it. Not without the last of us."_

I paused. "The Sage that died?" I asked, ashamed. The Sages, and Zelda, nodded solemnly. "Well, how can we restore it if he's dead?"

The Sages looked nervously at each other. That wasn't good. I had known something wasn't right about this. _"He can be resurrected," _the lead Sage said timidly, at last.

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"_As a spirit, he went to the Underworld with all the other souls when he died. However, being a spirit, he can return if a living person retrieves him," _the Sage explained nervously. Obviously, he didn't like the idea.

"Underworld?" Zelda asked, puzzled. "I haven't heard of such a place."

"_It is an old story, one from a time long before Hyrule. The Goddesses created a realm where the spirits of the living flee to when their bodies die. They called it the 'Underworld'. It is a dark place, a dangerous place, for when spirits come there, they appear as their true form, and are able to attack any living thing that dares enter that realm. No one has traveled there in a long time, and all stories of it have been lost, except ours."_ His words brought a vision of a dark, gloomy place, full of silent specters and lethal beasts that roamed black stone cities and dead, brown fields. I shivered involuntarily. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Zelda turn pale.

"Okay, so, we go there, we retrieve the Sage, we bring him back here, and then I can go back to Twilight?" I asked.

"_Yes,"_ they nodded. _Okay, great. Just another quest, into the realm of the dead._

Zelda turned her head to look at me. "I can't go with you."

I frowned, again disappointed and angry, but then I realized that it was necessary. Zelda was, after all, the princess of Hyrule. She couldn't just leave on a quest, even for another princess. Her country needed her. And, she didn't exactly look like she was too thrilled about this trek. I had to agree with her, but I wouldn't force her to come.

"Okay, then. I'll go alone."

The Sage shook his head. _"Even though you might be blessed with the Sacred Powers of the Goddesses, you are not ready for such a venture. You shall need the other blessed one." Link_, I instantly thought, and hung my head. After all these years, I didn't want to face him again. Not like this.

"Link," Zelda spoke my thought. "He's still in Ordon, last I heard. Midna, you'll have to go find him."

"No," I said firmly.

"You have to."

I sighed, defeated. I couldn't argue with Zelda; I didn't have enough energy to. "_Why?_" I quietly cursed the Goddesses. "Fine. I'll go. But not as a…_ human_."

"I'm sorry, Midna, but there's nothing we can do about that," Zelda explained to me as if I was an unruly child. I grumbled, but she was right. I'd have to deal with it.

"Fine. Let's go."

"_Wait,_"the Sage commanded, and then collaborated with the others in a strange language that I could not make sense of. I tapped my feet in impatience. Then they finally reached an agreement on something, and formed a circle in the air, putting their arms into the middle. There, a bright object started to form, and was lowered to rest in my hands. It was a mask. _"This is the mask of the one we lost,"_ the Sage explained. _"You will need it to return him to this world. You must be careful with it, though. Some of us do not think it wise to leave such an object in a mortal's care, but we have no choice."_

_Great pep talk._ "Now can we leave?" I demanded, still holding the mask. The Sages nodded.

I grabbed Zelda's hand and summoned what little power I could from the Fused Shadows. We dissolved, and materialized in front of the eastern gate to Castle Town. Wearily, I trudged after Zelda as she led the way back to her castle. I had almost no energy left, and every step I took was an eternity. I felt a headache begin in my temples from the strain. I dimly noticed the folk of the town bustling in the streets, eager to return home after a long day of work. Immersed in their lives, only a few noticed their princess and bowed to her. She regally bowed her head to each, but didn't seem offended by the others' unawareness. If I had had any energy left, I might have felt a bit jealous of her people's admiration for her. In Twilight, though they were polite, they didn't share the same love and respect for me that the Hylians had for their princess.

At last, after what seemed forever, we reached the castle. Reluctantly, I lumbered up the infinite staircases and finally entered Zelda's chambers. Almost immediately, I found her couch, set the mask near it, lay down, and slept that deep, dreamless sleep that only comes from exhaustion. I know not what Zelda did, but I could assume she found her own bed and slept as well.

Light pounded on my sensitive eyelids. I rolled over, seeking to return to my blissful sleep, but ended up falling off the couch. I jumped up as quickly as I landed, my shoulder and hip starting to ache. My tongue felt thick and fuzzy from my long sleep, and my hair was a rat's nest.

"You look as bad as I feel," Zelda announced glumly, walking out of her bedchamber dressed in a fuzzy robe over her silk nightgown. Her hair was as ever perfect and straight.

I yawned, stretching. "How long did I sleep?" I asked sleepily.

"Well, it's almost noon… so around thirteen hours, most likely," Zelda calculated, matter-of-factly.

"Why thank you, your highness," I mock-bowed.

She scowled. "Did you want some new clothes?"

I looked down at my bedraggled attire. "No, thanks, I'm good. I think."

She looked at my clothes distastefully. "Here, hold on," she said, disappearing into her bedroom.

I tapped my foot impatiently for several minutes before she returned. She carried a brush, a mirror, and a robe that looked strangely familiar. Of course, the brush was solid silver and the mirror was gilded gold. _She's such a princess._ The robe, however, was black, and made of a fine, thin wool. It had one band of embroidery near the edge of the close-fitting hood. Somewhere in the dark corners of my mind, a memory reawakened.

"This is the robe you were wearing when Zant had expanded Twilight into this realm, isn't it?" I said, gingerly taking the robe from her and holding it up in the light.

Zelda looked at it curiously. "Hmph. I suppose it is. Anyway, you can wear this. That way, _he_—" implying Link— "won't recognize you."

I smiled wanly. "Thank you."

"Now, let's see what we can do with that hair of yours," Zelda grimaced, eyeing my unruly hair.

After that followed an hour of constant brushing. Sitting on the sunken couch, Zelda brushed and I attempted to work out the worst of the knots and talked. We managed to save the loop of fabric that had held my hair back. There were so many tangles, my scalp became numb. Eventually, we managed to get my hair relatively straight. Of course, my layered bangs refused to hang straight, and instead bent outwards. Zelda bound my hair back up, and I thanked her profusely. It's not everyday the Princess of Hyrule brushes your hair. By the end, I was thoroughly caught up in the court gossip for the past decade, and Zelda was bursting with information on the habits of the Twilis. It was a peaceful, blissful time, one of those moments you wish could last forever. But, I had already learned that most things don't last nearly long enough.

Zelda straightened abruptly as we were reflecting on our memories. "We should check on King Bulblin," she suggested abruptly.

I shook my head, wrenched out of my reverie. "I guess," I said hesitantly.

She pulled me up off the couch and we started down toward the guest chambers on a lower floor. I had left the robe in Zelda's chambers. There were innumerable flights of stairs in the castle, yet Princess Zelda seemed to know each one and where it led. I followed her, heedless of my surroundings. Even if I had tried to pay attention to the route, I would never have found my way back. The guest room King Bulblin was recovering was on the third floor, lengthening our walk there. The people we met politely stepped to the side to let their princess and her foreign friend pass.

Of course, when we at last reached the door of the bulblin's chamber, it was locked. Zelda, fortunately, had an iron ring of a few dozen keys, which she calmly fingered through before finding the correct key. Her knowledge of the castle astounded me, but then, she ruled this castle. She pushed the door open gently, peering inside. The hinges were well oiled, and the door swung silently open. King Bulblin rested comfortably on a thick, soft-looking bed bordered by two nightstands, both supporting oil lamps and candles. A bowl of water and a washcloth rested on one, as well as a tray piled with food and drink. There were chairs nearby. He slept soundly, gently snoring, his back facing us. I could see the sword slashes I had inflicted on him through the thin linen sheet and felt a stab of guilt. Zelda glided into the room, and I followed. She gracefully selected a chair and sat. I closed the door and leaned against it, arms crossed.

At the sound of the door clicking closed, the giant bulblin stirred. He shifted painfully to his back, and I winced again with guilt. The king glanced at us, dazed. Then he remembered us, and the groggy fog lifted from his eyes. He propped himself up onto his elbows to relieve his back.

"Master," he addressed me, and nodded to Zelda. "Princess."

"Good morning, King Bulblin," Zelda greeted him regally.

"Why did you spare me, master?" he asked me bluntly, turning away from Zelda. I didn't flinch like Zelda did at such bluntness; I would do the same thing.

"Zelda bade me too," I told him honestly. "And I didn't exactly want to kill you. Sorry about the… um… wounds."

He blinked his eyes, surprised at my response. "There is nothing to forgive, master."

I nodded solemnly.

"If there is anything you need," Zelda interjected, "please, tell any of the castle servants, and they will see to it."

"Thank you, Princess," he said.

Zelda stood up, preparing to leave. "We will check on you later," she informed him.

I opened the door, letting Zelda pass through first before following. _What next?_ I followed Zelda silently as she walked through a maze of hallways and stairs. After minutes of confusion, we arrived at a storeroom, filled with chests and pots. I remembered this room; Link had found a silver rupee in this room. Zelda opened a few chests and put their contents in a wallet-like pouch. Then, back up to her room, where she handed me the robe, and I picked up the Sage's mask and slid it into one of my handy pockets. Finally, she led me down to the entrance hall.

She handed me the pouch. "You will need to prepare for your journey."

"Okay," I said, grimacing. I wasn't looking forward to the journey. At all.

"Buy all the supplies you might need. I can supply food and water, but anything else I'm afraid you'll have to find."

"Okay."

She clapped me on the shoulder. "I will see you tonight," she said, reassuring me that I wouldn't have to leave today.

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

Zelda turned around and walked away, leaving me to my own devices. That was when my glum mood began. Now, alone, the full weight of the task ahead fell heavily upon me. I had to travel to the land of the dead _and_ face my old love, Link. Depression settled on me, and I hurried out the large, imposing doors of the castle, vainly trying to escape my emotions. I failed.

The thin, gray clouds filtered the sun, giving the air a crisp, gloomy feel. Perfect for my mood. I pulled on the robe as I walked through the green and gray courtyard, ignoring the curt, curious glances of the passersby. Tugging my hood over my hair, I could feel the power of the Fused Shadows changing the robe. I stopped; this was new. The robe, which had been too short for me (considering that I was taller than Zelda), now fell almost to the ground, and the hood overshadowed my face, guaranteeing my anonymity. Apparently, the Fused Shadows were adapting to me. Before, in my imp form, I hadn't noticed this. What was different this time?

I put the fat purse in one of my handy pockets, and walked through the castle gates into Castle Town. Folks were bustling through the ever-crowded town center. There were more shops here than there had been a decade ago. Malo Mart, as ever, looked to be the most expensive. I wisely avoided it, and walked into a newer shop. A lady with glasses and purple hair greeted me, her wares on a table for display. Quickly, I developed a list of roughly everything I needed: potions, bomb bags and bombs, a lantern with oil, jars, blankets, and a canvas shelter of some sort. Unfortunately, she only had a few potions and some other unnecessary things, like a black pearl loop. Who needed one of those? I selected a red and blue potion, after recalling what a disaster the purple had been. Opening up the purse, I was shocked to find that Zelda had put several hundred rupees inside. It would be more than enough for everything.

Blisters, sore feet, and hours later, I had finally purchased all that I had needed and more. In addition to everything on my rough list, I had bought two large canvas bags to carry everything, saddlebags (how handy were those!) to supplement the canvas ones, a first aid kit, a hair brush for me and the stallion, good hiking boots, a warm coat, and flint for fire. Fortunately, everything I had bought fit comfortably in the bags. I had bought all the things I had thought I could need, just in case. I had learned long ago to be over prepared instead of under. I studiously avoided Malo Mart, and did just fine without it. By the time I had finally finished, it was nearing dusk, and I strangely didn't feel like returning to the castle. I found myself heading down the streets to the food vendors. The Gorons selling hot fresh spring water were still in business, even though the little one had grown to almost adult proportions. I wondered if they still called Link "brother"…

I caught myself walking down the steps toward the entrance of Telma's bar. I hesitated, the scattered bits of talk drifting through the air from around the corner. _Why am I here…?_ A huge wave of melancholy and depression crashed against me. _Link…_ I walked down the stairs and staggered through the warm, open door of the bar.

The bar was a place of warmth, light, and drunken cheer. There were several round tables, where castle guards sat and drank in their time off. The ever-annoying mailman sat crouched in the shadowy recesses of the back, muttering to himself as he tried to decide what to order. Voices called out from the adjoining room in the back, where larger groups sat, drank, and talked about vital topics. A group of rebellious adventurers had once gathered there, looking over the large map of Hyrule on the table and telling tales of their passions. I wondered what had become of them. Telma had been a member of that group, and had lent them the space so they could conspire how to defeat evil. Unfortunately, none of them had been chosen by the Goddesses, and though they had ambition, they could never have accomplished as much as Link did. I pushed him from my mind and headed to the bar, grabbing a stool and sitting down. I didn't remember the stools being here last time, but then, a decade had gone by.

Telma had always been a large and very imposing woman. She was curvaceous, and though she was middle-aged, she was attractive in a spicy way. She had strawberry-red hair, braided and bound up above her pointed ears. She was beginning to develop wrinkles and the corners of her green eyes from smiling, and had colorful dots from her culture under her eyes that added to her brightness. Her gray jacket was too tight, and some of her cleavage showed, but that was Telma. She wore an embroidered apron over her black skirt and was absently polishing a glass mug. She looked over at me curiously, like a cat.

"Give me some of your strongest," I sighed. "Please."

Right then, Telma's furry, white cat, Louise, jumped up on the bar. _"Ah, look, it iz ze imp. How good to zee you again, wolf-rrriderrr,"_ the cat purred, making me jump. _Since when could I understand animals?_

"Got somethin' on your mind, honey?" Telma asked as she pulled down a glass decanter filled with a dark brown liquid. "A man, perhaps?"

I nodded, tracing circles on the wood with my finger, not meeting her gaze. Link… talking animals… it was too much for my mind. Telma set the glass down in front of me and filled it about a fourth full. I lifted the glass and sniffed. The drink had a horrible odor, almost like sour milk mixed with rotten apples and fermented grapes. I downed it in one swig, shivering at the bitter taste. A fiery current spread through my veins, filling me with warmth throughout my body. My tongue went fuzzy, and so did my head. The pain and despair lessened a bit.

"_You arrre zo going to rrregrrret zat tommorrrow,"_ Louise told me, flicking her fuzzy tail in my face.

Telma raised an eyebrow. "You new around here, honey?"

"S—Sort of," I stammered, adjusting to the drink. Nothing in Twilight was that strong. It felt good.

"You can call me Telma," she introduced herself, and leaned against the bar. "So, what happened? I'm always up for a good romance."

I frowned, remembering how Telma had once been infatuated with Renado, a shaman in Kakariko Village. He, sadly, hadn't shared the same feelings. Remembering made my head dizzy, so I stopped. "Well," I started. "It happened a long time ago. We went on a—a quest, and he fell for another girl. Then, I left. And now, I'm back."

Telma looked slightly surprised. "When was this quest? I'm usually well-aware when a young man runs off with a girl, but…"

"Oh, it was a decade ago," I waved it off and gestured to my empty glass. Telma absently refilled it as she absorbed my words.

"A decade ago? Ah, a lot of things happened in those days," Telma's eyes twinkled with mystery. Unfortunately, I already knew all of her decade-old mysteries.

"Hmm," I muttered, swishing the dark contents of my glass and pondering when I should drink the repulsive and desirable spirits.

"So, who was this son-of-a-bokoblin that left such a pretty girl like you?" Telma asked curiously.

"Link," I said without thinking, and swigged the drink. Then I blushed. "I guess he is a son of a bokoblin!" I started giggling hysterically.

"What is that I hear about good ol' Link, yeah?" a new, deep female voice inquired. Ashei, a brawny, raven-haired knight, pulled up a stool beside me. She had been part of the group of adventurers that had helped Link a decade ago, and had had a deep interest in the yetis of Snowpeak. She wore the same heavily gilded armor, but over a new set of clothes. I had liked her, if only because she had bravery.

"Oh, just remembering old times," Telma explained absently, starring curiously at me. I felt awkward under her piercing eyes.

"_You prrrobably shouldn't have mentioned zat,"_ the cat informed me unnecessarily.

"I _know _that!" I hissed quietly at her, and she sat on the counter, unruffled.

Telma was working something out in that mind of hers, and I was pretty sure it was about me. I decided I would shut up, and drank the rest of the alcohol.

"Did you know Link, yeah?" Ashei asked curiously. I felt the tips of my ears go red, and I was burning hot.

"Yeah, I knew 'im," the words slurred out of my mouth. Somewhere in the dim remnants of my consciousness, I realized I was drunk. And, I really didn't care.

"He was a good man, that one," Ashei continued. "He went to Snowpeak all by himself, and came back alive! And he took chances, more than those yellow-bellied soldiers."

I scowled, about to say that he didn't go to Snowpeak all by himself, but I had enough sense left not to. I noticed that talking about Link didn't hurt anymore, so I concluded that the drink had done its work.

"Hey, what is Link up to nowadays, yeah?" Ashei turned to Telma.

"Last I heard he was comfortably settled in Ordon Village with Ilia," Telma reported.

I gagged and almost barfed. _Link, with_ Ilia! That was insane! Preposterous! Outrageous! I looked over at Ashei and saw that she had a glass of liquor. I reached over and drank it.

"Hey!" Ashei exclaimed indignantly.

"Sorry," I said, the warmth of the drink soothing my fraying nerves. It dulled the new pain of betrayal. Link betrayed me, with _Ilia_ of all people! How I hated that wench!

"And I heard they had a child together, a son," Telma continued.

This time, I really had to barf. I rushed out the bar door and vomited. _A son! This can't be right! The least the Goddesses could do was to give me a warning!_ _Unless,_ my traitorous consciousness whispered, _this was their warning._ I vomited again.

Telma appeared at the doorway with a rag. She gently put a hand on my back and wiped my mouth as I recovered. I felt like I should hate Telma for telling me about Link, but there was an old saying, _"don't shoot the messenger."_ I gagged, but held it back. I felt some of the warmth of the drink recede as it was flushed out of my system. My head started to pound.

"_I told you zat you would rrregrrret it,"_ Louise appeared by Telma's leg.

"You're a traitor," I hissed at the cat as I straightened. "I'm okay now."

Telma looked at me like a concerned mother. "Do I know you?" she asked. I shrugged.

I was about to head back in to get another drink when my throbbing head reminded me that it was probably a bad idea. I opened my purse, dug out a colorful, random rupee (I think it was orange) and handed it to Telma. "Thanks for everything, and could you get Ashei another drink?"

Telma followed me with her eyes as I swaggered out of view and up the stairs into the dying nighttime market streets of Castle Town. I wasn't sure where I was going, and I really didn't care. But, I wasn't going back to the castle. And I was never going to drink again.

As the drunken girl rounded the corner, Telma was almost certain something big was going to happen concerning her and Link. And, as usual, she had a soft spot for the poor girl. She had obviously had feelings for Link, but he had gone and married Ilia. Although, Telma did like Ilia.

"Is that who I think it is?" Telma asked her faithful cat.

"Mrreooww," Louise nodded, confirming Telma's suspicions.

She considered this. If the girl was who Telma thought she was, then something really big was about to happen. "Keep an eye on her, would you, Louise?" she asked, bending down to give the cat loves.

"Prrrrmeeow," the cat assented, and trotted after the girl, her tail held high and aloft. Telma had a feeling that she wouldn't see that cat for a long time.

"Good luck!" she called out softly into the night, and headed back into the bar.


	5. Chapter 5: Reunion

Sorry this took me so long! I've been super busy… Yeah, well, new chapters will probably come every Sunday now, because I'm going to be gone every Saturday this month.

Oh, I've decided that Midna's new theme song for this story is a piano piece entitled _Nuvole Bianche_.

Author's Note: I really love Link, but since I hate Ilia, I've decided Link needs to redeem himself. So don't worry, _HE WILL GET MORE AWESOME SOON!_

* * *

Chapter 5

Reunion

Staggering along in the almost deserted streets, I found myself at the stables. _Why not?_ I entered the quiet hallway.

The goats lay soundly asleep in their pens, piled on top of another comfortably. Most of the horses had their heads hung over the side of their stalls, their eyes closed in sleep. I noted that Zelda's mare was one of them. The others were calmly munching hay. The grooms had retired for the night, so no other human was there to turn me around and send me back to the castle. As I swayed down the hallway toward the back, toward the stallion, I noted the grooms had cut an open window in the side of his box. I neared the box stall, unafraid, and undid the latches.

The stallion was peacefully munching on hay and raw meat. He lifted his head and the sound of my approach and greeted me with a low nicker. Some brave groom dared venture close enough to change his bandages. He looked healthier, having been groomed, fed, and exercised.

"What, so cats can talk to me but you can't?" I demanded drunkenly. Then I started to cry. That's the strange thing about spirits: they invoke the strangest responses if you've drunken too much. I flung my arms around his stocky neck and wept into his warm, solid chest. I wept for everything that had ever happened to me. I wept for all the grievances that I had had for a decade. I wept for lost love, for the world.

But, as always, a flash of light interrupted me. My horse shifted into matter, and then reformed, as Link had when he shifted between wolf and human. I felt my head resting against warm, solid muscle. Human muscle. My arms were wrapped around a human neck. I pulled away, all trace of drink vanishing at my surprise.

In the stallion's place was a human man. He was tall, only slightly more so than myself, and looked to be in his early forties. His black hair that shone red in the dim light, and long, thick eyebrows shaded his wild, piercing purple and red eyes. He had a strong jaw and hooked nose, and he had a small beard on his chin. He was also, luckily, wearing clothes. His black pants were loose, made of goat hair, like mine. An open, black shirt revealed his muscular physique.

The man looked quizzically and me, and then looked down at himself. I could feel my mouth gaping open. He was _very_ handsome.

"Oh," I managed.

"W—what did you do to me?" the man asked slowly.

My brain fuzzily sorted through the possibilities before I realized what had happened. I reached for the stone that hung around my neck, the stone I had used to turn Link into a wolf when he wanted to. It was there.

"The stone—" I started. The stone had what? Done what it was supposed to do?

"You are my master, yes?" the man carefully asked. I nodded. "Why were you crying?"

I sat down cross-legged in the stall, absently noting that the grooms had mucked it out and put in new bedding. "I was crying because, well… remember Link?" He nodded solemnly, and sat down with me hesitantly, as if getting used to the idea of having two legs. "I was crying because of him. He—he fell in love with another woman."

The man, or stallion, or whatever he was, pondered this. "What is 'love'?"

I paused. "Love is… it's what a person feels when they're… um… deeply passionate about someone. It's really hard to explain."

"Are you in love with Link?" he questioned.

This took me aback. "I—I was. I guess I am."

"So, the stallion Link chose another mare over you. When he is done with her, he will come for you."

"No, that's not how it works," I explained. "See, when he chose this woman, he made a… a pact that he would only have that one."

He absorbed this. "It was never like this for me. They gave me a mare, and then took her away when we were finished. Then they brought me another when she went into season."

I was shocked at his blunt vulgarity. "Who are you?"

"In my homeland, I was called Anghenfil. I lived in the desert, with a people that were strong. When I was old enough, I was given to a powerful man named Ganondorf. But, you know the rest," he calmly told me.

_Anghenfil._ I turned this over in my mind. "So, you really are a horse?" I checked.

"Yes, I am a horse," Anghenfil said. "But how I got to be a human, you still have not explained."

"It's this stone," I held it up for him to see. "I was able to use it to turn Link into a wolf, so I guess it did the same thing to you…"

Anghenfil touched the stone gingerly. Nothing happened. "So, how do I return to my true form?"

I shrugged. Perhaps I had unknowingly infused power in the stone… "Put your hand on the stone," I commanded. He did, and I transferred a small amount of power into the stone. A flash, and the stallion was lying down opposite me. He regarded me with his red eyes, and touched the stone with his muzzle. I infused it with power, and he returned to human form.

"Interesting," he commented. "Have you tried this with other animals?"

"No," I scoffed. "And I don't really want to."

He looked at me curiously, but said nothing. We spent hours chatting about random subjects, such how to behave around other humans, and the meaning of particular words and phrases that Anghenfil wasn't familiar with. Finally, I realized that Zelda would probably be worried about me. I was getting tired, and I could tell Anghenfil was, too.

"I should probably go," I told him.

"First, return me to normal," he requested, touching the stone. A touch of power, and he morphed back into a stallion.

"Good night," I said, embracing him around the neck.

"_Good night," _he responded.

"So you can talk as a horse!" I shook my head: men.

I turned to leave and bolted his door shut. Most of the horses were asleep now. As I left the stable, I realized just how late it was. The stars were shining brightly overhead, and the street lamps had been lit, casting deep, menacing shadows. I paused in the street to look up at the stars; I hadn't seen them in a decade.

Approaching the castle entrance, I noticed the guards' heads leaning against their chests. I whistled, but they ignored me. _Asleep, probably._ I inched closer to one, waiting to see if he'd have any reaction. But I had been right. His breathing was too deep, too regular, and he wasn't paying attention to me. When I got close enough, I noticed that his eyes were shut.

"Boo," I said softly in his ear. He jumped, and so did his companion.

"Sorry, miss, I didn't notice you there…" he stammered an excuse.

"It's okay, I won't tell the Princess," I assured him, and glided through the gate.

Again, my prediction was correct. Zelda was pacing in the entry, muttering to herself with her arms crossed. When she saw me, she exhaled and brightened. However, her expression was thunderous.

"Where have you been?" Zelda demanded. "I was expecting you hours ago! I just ordered my marshal to organize a searching party!"

"Sorry," I shrugged. "I was… out."

"I gathered," she said, taking my arm and leading me back upstairs to her chamber. "So, really, where were you?"

I considered. _How much should I tell her?_It wasn't that I didn't trust Zelda; the idea of divulging my new, secret power to anyone wasn't very appealing. "Well, after I finished shopping, I stopped by Telma's bar and got a bit drunk—"

"You got drunk!" Zelda exclaimed, aghast.

"Yes, Zelda, I indulged a little too heavily in spirits," I elaborated. "Anyway, as I was saying before you so rudely interrupted me, I got drunk, and then I encountered a—a friend. So, we stopped and had a little chat."

"So you're still drunk?" Zelda inquired.

"No, I'm not drunk anymore. Us Twilis have a fast metabolism," I lied. I wasn't drunk, but Twilis didn't recover from drink _that_ easily.

"Who's your friend?" she questioned, looking at me eagerly.

"A friend," I said ambiguously. She gave up.

"It's like pulling teeth sometimes with you, Midna," she commented.

"I know. I like doing that," I smiled.

Zelda's room had been tidied, and the couch had been set up so it resembled something like a bed, with sheets, blankets, and proper pillows. I shed the robe, folding it neatly and placing it near the couch. I was eager for sleep, but not eager for what would come afterward. Tomorrow would mean meeting Link again, this time married to the woman I hated and with a son. My heart turned cold inside of me, and my stomach did a flip. I didn't even _want_ to wake up tomorrow. Luckily, tomorrow never comes… Zelda bid me good night, and blew out the candles that illuminated her rooms. Sleep avoided me, even though me body was exhausted. Finally, I fell into an uneasy slumber.

My mind came into focus. I longed to return to sleep, but my body refused to. I opened my eyes to discover only the dim, gray light of early morning filtering in through Zelda's windows. I rose wearily, exhausted with a pounding hangover that throbbed with my every move. Squinting against the pain, I made my way slowly to the window. The sun was just coming over the horizon, its golden rays illuminating Hyrule Field. I stood, watching the rosy dawn color the landscape. I had forgotten how beautiful dawn was. As it crested the land and rose higher into the sky, I felt a presence at my side.

Zelda was staring out the window as well, enraptured. "I had forgotten the beauty of dawn as well," she reminisced. "That's why I like you, Midna: you appreciate true beauty in your own way, and remind everyone else around you of it as well."

"Ugh," I groaned, my headache kicking in again at the loud noise of her voice.

"Hangover?" she asked, quiet this time.

"Yes," I mumbled.

Zelda walked away and somehow summoned a servant, requesting a tea to ease my hangover. A few minutes later, it arrived as well as a tray loaded with breads, fruit, and eggs. I sipped my tea and, finding it good, chugged it. Meanwhile, Zelda watched, appalled, as I scarfed down over half the food on the tray. I lay back on the couch, my pain eased and belly satisfied.

I then noticed how horrible my behavior had been. "Sorry," I said meekly.

"It's all right," Zelda assured me, setting down the bagel she had been about to eat before my feeding frenzy. She daintily sat on the couch arm. "So, are you ready to go to Ordon?"

I stiffened, then closed my eyes and sighed in resignation. Was there any way to escape my fate? "No," I protested vainly, sitting up.

"Thought not," Zelda responded. "You still have to go, though."

"I know," I told her.

The next hour was busy for me. I went through the items I had bought twice, making sure that I didn't need anything else. Then, I reorganized them into packs, making sure to relocate the mask into a pack so I wouldn't lose it. In the meantime, Zelda was overseeing the preparation of the food and drink I would be taking with me. We had estimated that Link and I would need about two months' worth of food, so we decided to prepare for three. We weren't sure if there would be water in the Underworld, so she was gathering that for me, too. Finally, we hauled all of the full bags to the stables, with the help of two guards. It wouldn't be seemly for a princess to be carrying luggage, and Zelda insisted that it wasn't proper for women of royal favor either, such as me. At the stables, the guards left us at my bidding, not Zelda's. She scowled at me, but let me have my way.

Anghenfil was in a cheerful mood this morning. He was happily munching on a piece of raw steak and some grain in his stall. He even saw fit to nicker softly in greeting.

"Time to go," I informed him.

"_To… Ordon?"_ he guessed. I nodded solemnly.

"I'm going to have to saddle you, though," I glanced at his bandaging.

"_It's alright,"_ he told me. _"I was always a quick healer, and a life of serving Ganondorf dulled my sense of pain."_

I grimaced, and peeled off the bandages to see how his sores were. He was right: they were almost completely healed, with hair already growing over the scar tissue. I raised my eyebrows, but ordered the grooms to bring new bandages. I didn't want to take any chances.

The grooms let me see the array of tack they had in the stables after I had groomed Anghenfil. The room it was held in was well aired, but the smell of horse and leather was still prevalent. All the harnesses and saddles gleamed brightly in the daylight, saying, _pick me, pick me_. There was only one saddle that looked as if it might fit Anghenfil, shiny and black with steel trimmings. _Perfect._ I also chose a thick, fluffy saddle pad, just to reduce the risk of opening his saddle sores. I grabbed a black leather bridle as well, and headed back to tack him up.

Another half an hour later, I was finally ready to leave. Anghenfil was saddled and patiently waiting. Zelda and I had managed to hook on all the bags onto the saddle, even though that much weight on the stallion worried me. I carried one of the canvas bags on my shoulders, which held some food, a few blankets, and the Sage's mask, as well as a few other things I would need if something happened to Anghenfil. I prayed nothing would.

Zelda and I led him out of the stables together. It was time to part. I would be back with Link so we could discuss where the entrance to the Underworld lay, but this sincerely felt like good-bye. Next time, it would be awkward. Zelda hadn't been that close to Link, and Link had been a bit… busy. There hadn't been any bond between them, as there had between us.

"Well, I guess I'll be going," I said uncomfortably.

"Yeah," Zelda breathed, looking away from me. "See you later, Midna."

I embraced her like a sister. She had done so much for me, and there was nothing I could do to thank her except be her friend. Zelda hugged me back. I could feel the warmth of tears dripping onto my shoulder. There was an unspoken farewell between us, and then we pulled away, once again regal royalty bestowed with the grace of the Goddesses, preparing for yet another adventure.

I led Anghenfil east out of Castle Town before mounting him. He assured me that he was quite capable of carrying me and the loaded bags easily. I was skeptical, but had no reason to doubt him, so I mounted him and set off at an easy lope. I had no inclination of warping there: the longer it took, the better. All the bulblins cowered before us, obviously aware that I had defeated their king. The other creatures that swarmed the plains of Hyrule readily ignored us, so the ride was pleasant. The sun shone warmly down on us, and the warm breeze gently stirred the green grass of the fields. So, I took the long way to Ordon Village. We passed through valleys of hard, gray rock, and over stone and wooden bridges. A few hours later, we passed Faron Spring, where another Light Spirit resided. I pushed Anghenfil past it. We were almost in Ordon.

As we loped into the small clearing between the woods and the village, I stopped Anghenfil. I felt a stab of pain in my gut and almost doubled over. _Link._ My breath was knocked out of me. I was so close to the very thing I had avoided for almost a decade. I was going to walk right in to Link's life, only to find myself replaced. Who was I, to think I could come here? I didn't belong here, I shouldn't be here, I should be in Twilight, ruling as its princess…

_No._It wasn't my thought. My body took over, sitting back up, gently nudging Anghenfil to continue. I could feel Anghenfil surge underneath me, but I wasn't in control of my own body. I was a reluctant passenger, along for the ride. We entered the boundary of Ordon Village, where Link's tree house had once stood. It was still there, but expanded to accommodate a family. The tree had been hollowed out, and rooms added. Mercifully, I was able to shut my eyes to keep out the sight. Someone was home, but my rebellious body urged Anghenfil to continue into the actual village. On the way, I had half-formulated a plan of action. Since this could be considered a royal matter, I could head to the mayor's and claim I was a royal messenger, with an urgent message to the hero Link about a quest. That would save a lot of awkwardness when Link arrived, and if, Goddesses forbid, Ilia came with him. Then, after we had departed, I could reveal my identity to him when it was too late for him to back out. Not that he would, or, at least, I hoped he wouldn't. Apparently, my body liked this idea.

Ordon Village was a shabby yet quaint country town, if it could be called that. Young children ran about, playing joyfully as young children often do. I wondered if one of them was Link's son. The children stopped their playing at my approach, and quickly ran away. I must have been quite frightening with my black, concealing robe riding the huge, carnivorous stallion that could certainly strike fear into even the bravest hearts. I could sense the villagers glancing curiously out of their windows, cowering inside the sanctuary of their homes. My body steered Anghenfil to one house, using gentle nudges with my feet. The house, Mayor Bo's, was large in relation to the rest of Ordon, and easy to recognize. Anghenfil smoothly halted in front, patiently waiting for me to dismount. I shook my head slightly; I finally had control of my body again. That had been weird. I dismounted, sliding easily to the ground, but unsure what to do next.

"_Are you going to be okay?"_Anghenfil asked, concerned, one large red eye fixed on me. I nodded, swallowing. _"I'm going hunting. Just call me with your shadow magic when you need me."_

I forced my feet to walk to the door of the mayor's house. The door opened before I could knock. Bo stood there, his girth making him appear massive and intimidating. Unfortunately for him, I was slightly taller than he was, but not by much. The mayor was getting on in years, and had lost most of his remaining hair. His tusks protruded threateningly, and he had a permanent scowl on his face, as if he had judged the world unworthy. He looked at me through squinty, narrowed eyes, suspicious of my strangeness. I wondered if he wanted me to speak first.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Bo demanded, crossing his arms menacingly. I smiled under my hood; I liked Bo's blunt manner. It would make my job much easier.

"I am a royal messenger, from… the princess," I said huskily, trying desperately to lower my voice from its natural high pitch.

Bo blinked in surprise, hesitated, and then seemed to remember what was going on. "Of course," he tried to recover. "Please, come in." He stepped aside and held the door open for me.

I stepped inside and blinked, adjusting to the change in light. His house was messy inside, obviously lacking that essential female element. A back doorway led to Bo's private wrestling chamber. In the main room, there was a table and chair, and bed against the side, and a small kitchen area. I glided inside silently, observing it all from beneath my hood. Bo closed the door, and from somewhere managed to find a chair for me. He sat it across the table from his, and held it out for me. I sat down gracefully, and Bo plopped into his large, bulky chair across from me.

"So," he started, unsure. "What is the nature of this visit?"

I smiled from inside the hood. But it quickly disappeared. "I am here with a message for the hero. Link. Since you are the mayor here, I felt it necessary to confront you first."

Bo rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "What is the message?"

"I only wish to repeat it once, when the hero is present," I informed him.

"Well, in that case…" Bo trailed off, and then rose. He opened the door, and, spotting something, yelled, "Hey, Tebo! Come here!"

One brave, curious boy entered my line of sight from the table. He edged closer, trying to me, the mysterious stranger. He was young, about six or seven. Was he Link's son? No, his features were too much like Colin's, another boy who had lived here a decade ago. But his eyes were cold and harsh, unlike Colin's innocent round ones.

"Yes, mayor?" the boy, Tebo, asked hesitantly.

"Go fetch Master Link from the ranch," Bo instructed him. "And be quick about it. There's a messenger from the princess here to see him."

The boy nodded, his eyes gleaming, and then ran off in the direction of the ranch. I knew that before he fetched Link, the whole village would hear that a royal messenger had come for him. Bo shut the door and sat back down heavily. He starred at me, waiting, but I had nothing to say.

"Do you want some tea?" he asked after a while, exasperated.

"Tea sounds nice," I said graciously as Bo again rose from his chair.

He walked behind me to the little kitchen area and began clanking the kitchenware around noisily. Having nothing better to do, I turned my chair so I could observe both Bo in the kitchen and the door. The mayor set a kettle full of water over the chimney fire, and returned to make something else. I guessed he was making some kind of hors d'oeuvre, but I wasn't sure. I watching the mayor, captivated, when the door was flung open. I stood up abruptly, and turned to face the intruder.

A woman in her twenties stood in the doorway, a furious expression on her face. Her dark blonde hair was cropped at her neck, flung to one side. Bright green eyes glared at us with an inner righteousness. Her teeth were barred, her lips curling slightly, and her fists were clenched. She wore the common clothes of a villager: a long, sleeveless top and capris. _Ilia._

"What is… _he_ doing here, Daddy?" Ilia demanded, pointing at me.

"_She_," I corrected, walking to her and extending my hand through sheer will. "I am a messenger from the princess, come with a message for the hero Link. And who are you?" I forced the words out of my mouth.

Ilia looked at my hand distastefully, but took it gingerly anyway. I clasped it firmly, just to spite her. "I am Link's wife, Ilia," she boasted. "And I'm also the mayor's daughter."

"Pleasure," I grimaced, trying really hard to keep the irony from my voice. This was _the_ woman who stole Link from me.

"So, what is your message?" she questioned me, closing the door.

I smiled dangerously. Too bad she couldn't see it. "As I told your father, I am only going to say it once, when Hero Link is here."

"But I'm his—"

"Yes, I know as his spouse you have a right to know. You're welcome to remain to here the message, if you wish."

Ilia obviously didn't like the idea, but she didn't try to press the point. Bo, startled, hurried to fetch another chair for his daughter. I returned to my seat. I hoped Tebo came back with Link soon. Ilia delicately sat in the chair offered by her father, and turned to face me. I inclined my head in her direction. By her subtle fidgeting, I could tell my ominous presence unnerved her. Good.

"So, what's your name?" she broke the silence.

"Mina," I hesitated, taking the strong consonant sound out of my name just in case.

"Mina… That sounds strangely like a former colleague of my husband's," she thought aloud.

I grinned ironically. _I knew that was coming._ "Well…"

Bo brought a tray of delicacies over to the table, as well as three teacups and a pot of tea. He poured me a glass first, out of courtesy, and then one for his daughter. He then proceeded to sit cumbrously down again. We sat in awkward silence for a few minutes, sampling some of the hors d'oeuvres and sipping tea. I appeared to be the most relaxed, leaning back casually with tea in hand, but in truth, butterflies were flitting in my stomach. Then I felt a presence. Actually, it was more like a few presences, outside, pressing against the walls of the house. _Little eavesdroppers._This was the biggest event in Ordon in a decade most likely, and all the children were probably scrambling for the best peepholes.

All was quite when the door was opened again, and in stepped a tall, weathered man that looked older than he was. _Link!_My heart screamed out for him, for even aged as he was, I recognized him. His beautiful, blond hair had been bleached from the hours in the sun, and his skin had darkened. He had creases near the corners of his eyes and bags underneath, and his brow was faintly lined. _Link has wrinkles already._ His big, beautiful, blue eyes were dead, lifeless. Shoulders slumped, he looked as if he had been defeated year after year for the past decade. My heart yearned to go to him, embrace him, rejuvenate him, to restore him to what he had been. _This is what Ilia has done to him._ I felt a tear silently roll down my cheek.

Ilia rose to greet her husband, but he appeared not to notice her. "Link, this is Mina, a royal messenger…"

I rose slowly. "Hero Link."

He nodded vaguely in my direction and headed to the table, where Bo was placing yet another chair. Link took it, slouching down from weariness. Ilia and I resumed our seats.

"The princess has a message for you, Hero," I addressed him bluntly. "There has been an… accident. And a hero blessed by the Goddesses is needed to complete a quest to fix this accident."

"A quest!" Ilia exclaimed, and grasped her husband's arm. "Link, you can't possibly think—"

"What is the quest?" Link interrupted her, his voice only slightly deeper than I remembered it.

"You are needed to travel to the Underworld, the place where the spirits of the dead reside, to resurrect one who was lost because of Ganondorf," I told him honestly.

"Why?"

"The one who was killed by Ganondorf is the only one who can fix the accident, and only a chosen hero can travel to the Underworld and resurrect him."

Link nodded in understanding. Ilia gasped and grabbed his arm. "You can't go!" she shrieked. "You can't leave me again! I won't let you!"

Link looked at her, and then lowered his head. "You're right. I can't go."

A surge of emotions filled my head, and a strong desire to wring Ilia's neck came over me. I clenched my fists, but I retained my composure. "If you won't undertake this quest, who will?" I asked angrily.

"I will," a new voice answered from the doorway. We all turned to look at the newcomer.

It was Link. Well, not exactly. He was how Link had been a decade ago. His blond hair was wild and unruly, poking out at random angles, and his intense green eyes roared his rebellious nature. The daylight illuminated his childish physique, though for a child he was quite tall and lanky. His jaw set, it was apparent that he was resolute in his decision. He looked to be only around nine or ten. _So, this is Link's son._My heart pounded at the sight of him. I should have hated him since he was Ilia's son, I should despise him, I should have wanted to kill him, but I didn't. All I felt was how he should have been _mine._

"Junior!" Ilia rose from her seat again, her posture displaying her motherly anger, her hands on her hips. "What are you doing here? Go home this instant!"

"No!" Junior practically shouted at her. "I'm tired of your control! I'm tired of being stuck here! I want to go!"

Now Link spoke up. "Junior, do as your mother says—"

"I'm tired of listening to you, too, Father," Junior simmered, more gentle with his father. "I'm tired of you always bending to her will. Get a backbone."

"Junior! How dare you speak to your father that way!" Ilia snapped at him. Bo shrunk in his chair, obviously scarred of interfering.

"I _do _dare! I'm sick of always being the good son, the hero's son. Now it's my chance to become the hero," Junior starred down his mother.

Ilia stared right back. "You are too young to do anything of the sort. You are _not_ going, and that is final."

I rose. Obviously, nobody else was going to anything, so it was left to me. Again. Everyone's attention turned to me now, including Junior's. His eyes widened at the sight of me, but he stood firm. "Now, wait. Why can't he go?"

Ilia opened her mouth, and then closed it. "He can't because… he's too young… and… it's dangerous…"

"Link was only a few years older than he is now when he went on his quest," I pointed out. "And I will be accompanying him on the journey."

"You!" Ilia spat. "What good will you be at protecting my son? You are only a —"

I wiped out my blades and pressed them against her neck before she could finish her sentence. The room was silent, and Ilia began to sweat.

"Oh," she managed.

"Junior, do you wish to undertake this quest?" I asked him, not taking my eyes off of Ilia. She attempted to protest, but I pressed the blades closer. She shut her mouth.

"Yes," he said faintly. I lowered my blades from her throat and sheathed them. Link was looking down at the floor, Bo was looking off to the side, and Junior was staring agape at me.

"Well, I guess that settles it," I declared, and headed to the door. Remembering something, I turned back to face his parents, my lover and my enemy. "Oh, and he will need the hero's equipment if he is to go," I told them. Link instantly rose to follow, and Ilia reluctantly joined.

I grabbed Junior's arm as I passed him, since he was apparently paralyzed. "Come on," I whispered down to him. He came up only to my waist. Shaking his head to clear it, he turned to follow, and I let go.

Outside, I could see the faint outlines and shadows of the children who were watching and listening. A horse stood near the house. Epona was a large, stocky draft that was exceedingly strong, fast, and loyal. She was a chestnut, with a blonde mane and tail. She looked at us out of her large, wise eyes, but remained still. Junior went to her, touched her, and started walking to Link's tree house. She obediently followed. I lengthened my stride to keep up.

We walked in silence, digesting all that had happened. I was in shock, both at meeting Link and his son and the surprise at not having to reveal myself to Link. I regretted it, in a way, but at the same time I was grateful he didn't know. Having a wife a child, I'm sure it would have caused problems. Junior seemed to be absorbing the fact that he was leaving his life behind him. Epona followed him closely, like a mother, not protecting but offering comfort. It also surprised me that Epona was now loyal to Junior, since a decade ago she had been loyal to Link.

We reached their house, and waited for Link and Ilia to catch up. Link entered first, followed by Ilia and lastly Junior. I stayed outside with Epona, letting them say their good-byes. I sat down in the grass and removed my hood. Epona looked down at me and cocked her head.

"_Midna!" _Epona exclaimed her eyes alight.

"Hi," I said sheepishly.

"_I didn't realize it was you!"_ she stated.

"Yeah, well, nobody really has." I paused, considering. "Come sit with me," I took the Beast Stone, as I had named it, and pressed it to her muzzle.

The human Epona looked down at me in wonder. She was a middle-aged woman, with light blonde hair that framed her face well, and was curvaceous and stocky, but not short. Her eyes were the same dark, wise eyes that she had always had. Over all, she was very attractive for her age.

She sat down, unsure of her new form. "How did you do that?"

"Remember the stone I used to turn Link into a wolf?" Epona nodded. "Well, I still have it, and apparently, it works on all animals."

Epona nodded again. Then she turned to look at me. "You look different from what I remember."

"Well, if you mean I'm not an imp anymore, then I guess," I shrugged.

"No, you look different from your true form. What happened?"

So, I told her the story of how the Goddesses had torn me from Twilight. "So, is that why you're traveling to the Underworld?" Epona asked when I was finished. "To return to Twilight?"

"Yeah," I told her. "Because for me to restore the Mirror, I need the Sage that was killed."

She nodded in understanding. Suddenly, we heard the doorknob turn, and I quickly returned Epona to horse form. Ilia marched out of the door, her face a violent tempest. She stormed toward me. I rose, and brushed off my robe. I hadn't had time to pull my hood back on. Seeing my face, Ilia became even more enraged. I could feel her jealousy come off her in waves. Was I really that beautiful? I didn't know, and didn't care, either. She approached.

"Vile temptress," she spat at me. "I know who you are, and I know why you came. You came to steal my husband! Well, you won't get him. And my son is off-limits. You better protect him, because if I see one scratch on him I will_ kill you,_" she jabbed a finger at me. I stood silent, taking her abuse, only looking her straight in the eye with hatred. Epona, Goddesses bless her, snuck up behind Ilia and blew hard right on the back of her neck. Ilia visibly jumped, pulling her gaze off me.

I grabbed Ilia by her shirt and pulled her off her feet. I was considerably taller than she was, and considerably stronger (surprisingly). I lifted her about a foot off the ground. "Now, listen to me, witch," I hissed at her. "I don't like you much either, but I don't want to hurt you. Yet. And I didn't come to steal Link. So just _leave me alone_." Then I dropped her. Ilia's face was terrified, so I turned away and pulled my hood back on. I saw Epona sidestep away, letting Ilia pass to return to the house. A moment later, Junior appeared in the doorway, a bag slung over his shoulder. His parents appeared behind him to wave good-bye. As Junior attached the bag to Epona's saddle, I mentally summoned Anghenfil. Moments later, as Junior was about to mount her, my mighty stallion surged in the clearing at a gallop.

Catching sight of the beautiful mare, Anghenfil extended his stride and rounded his neck, tossing his head in an attempt to show off. _Men,_ I thought silently to myself. _Always trying to appeal to the ladies._He skidded to a complete halt directly in front of me, keeping his head high and proud, and snorted. I sighed and shook my head. Junior's eyes were wide.

"Do you need help getting on?" I asked him gently.

Snapped out of his reverie, Junior gave me one dark glance and jumped up into the saddle with a practiced ease. I did the same, and we were ready to go. As we left, I noticed that Junior didn't even glance back.


	6. Chapter 6: Beginnings

I am _so_ sorry I haven't written in forever! I started a NaNoWriMo, but that's not working, so… Anyway, here is my first apology to Link fans.

* * *

Chapter 6

Beginnings

We traveled in silence for a while. Gradually, Junior's icy demeanor melted, and he started looking at the scenery with growing curiosity. Then, becoming bored with his surroundings, Junior started studying me. I could feel his gaze as I focused on where we were going. Anghenfil and Epona were cantering along easily, and luckily, Anghenfil had given up prancing around for her. We were in Faron Province before Junior broke the silence.

"So, what's your name, lady?" he asked curiously. I turned my head to look at him, but remained silent. I didn't feel like talking.

Junior raised an eyebrow. "Fine, then. I'll call you… Bob. Yes, your new name is Bob."

I smiled, but didn't say anything. He couldn't see it, because I still had my hood on. _At least he has a sense of humor._

"So, Bob, where are we going?"

"Hyrule Castle," I said bluntly.

His eyes widened. "Why?"

"Directions," I answered.

"Are we going to see Princess Zelda?"

"Yes."

Junior absorbed this, looking away. "My mother told me about the princess. She said that the princess was a witch with terrible powers."

My body went rigid, and Anghenfil came to a halt. Epona stopped too. I removed my hood, and subconsciously summoned a little power to appear more threatening.

"_Never_," I said quietly, "call Princess Zelda a 'witch'. She is the best princess in all the kingdoms. _Never_ think otherwise."

Junior must have heard the threat in my voice, because his eyes opened impossibly wide and he nodded his head emphatically. I pulled my hood back up and spurred Anghenfil forward. Junior followed behind, and we continued in silence. However, by the time we reached Hyrule Field, Junior once again spoke.

"Why do you keep your hood on all the time?" he asked.

I considered for a moment. "My appearance frightens some people," I told him. And it was a fact, it just wasn't the truth. The truth was that I feared being recognized. It was irrational, I knew, but it still frightened me all the same.

"It doesn't scare me," he boasted bravely. Then he sobered. "And you aren't really ugly. You're just… different."

I didn't respond. After a while, he spoke up again. "Bob," he started hesitantly. "I am scared. I don't know how to use a sword properly, and the only monster I've ever killed was a stray bokoblin."

I didn't answer. I only nudged Anghenfil closer and laid my hand on his shoulder in comfort. I could feel his body quiver as he tried to suppress his tears of fear. Eventually, he regained his composure, and I pulled away. Junior didn't look at me, but I knew that inside he was grateful.

Afterwards, the journey continued in silence, which was fine by me. I was still trying to figure out what to make of Link's son. They were so different, and yet the same. Link had been brave, never fearing anything Zant or Ganondorf threw at him. Junior, however, was as terrified as any nine-year-old child had the right to be, but he was brave, too. Link had been the recluse, the practically mute boy not yet a man, whereas his son was the hyperactive young child, the suppressed socialite. I figured he inherited these traits from his mother. He had so much of Ilia in him, it was a miracle that I didn't hate him yet.

As we neared Lanayru Province, named after my dear spirit friend, Junior started to reawaken. His gaze constantly shifted toward the elegant spires of Hyrule Castle in the distance. His excitement only grew as we crossed through the green fields, across the stone bridge, and came in view of the stone walls of Castle Town. Epona was a saint, keeping her pace and never losing her patience with his fidgeting. At the bridge that led into Castle Town, I had us dismount. Junior gazed around him with awe.

"You've never been to Castle Town, have you?" I guessed.

"My parents never had an interest in coming back. 'Too many bad memories,' they always told me."

I let myself let out a sharp laugh. _Bad memories, indeed!_ Junior gave me a quizzical look but, not being able to see my face, quickly forgot and returned to gazing at the surroundings. I started walking, and Anghenfil obediently followed.

"You're being awfully nice to me," I whispered to him as we crossed over the wooden bridge.

"_No, I'm being respectful. Mares like Epona love that in a stallion,"_ he lowered his head to mine.

"Men: always after the girls," I shook my head. Suddenly, I thought of something. "Do you and Epona want to come with us to the castle?"

"_As horses?"_ Anghenfil asked, confused.

"No, as humans. I could turn you both into humans right now, with no one around to see. So, what do you want to do?"

Anghenfil considered. _"No, I think we should remain as horses. I do not wish to drain your power."_

"You mean you don't want to appear ugly to Epona as a human. I get it," I joked.

"_Am I really that ugly as a human?"_ he asked, flattening his ears a little in defense.

"No, I was joking," I explained.

"Hey, who are you talking to?" I heard Junior call to me from behind.

"Myself. It's an annoying habit of mine," I called back.

"Oh."

Silence. Junior became enraptured with the town as soon as we passed through the gates. Grooms met us at the stable, and took the horses. I could swear I saw Anghenfil wink at me devilishly, but I wasn't sure. We continued to the castle, Junior trying to look at everything while trying not to trip over himself. As we came near the courtyard doors, however, he took my hand. It must have been a bit frightening, growing up in a peaceful country village, and then arriving at a big, bustling town with armed guards and imposing buildings. I let him hold my hand.

Zelda was waiting for us in the foyer. She was wearing her old gold and pink, complete with her coronet, jewels, and ceremonial sword. Zelda had gone all out, and was standing perfectly still, awaiting the hero. So, when she saw me holding the hand of a little boy, Zelda's face actually showed some emotion: shock, with a little bit of disappointment. But, she recovered smoothly.

"Welcome, honored guest! I am Princess Zelda. You must be… Link's son, yes?" she asked, a bit hesitant.

Junior dropped my hand and stepped forward. He bowed, saying, "It is an honor to meet you, you Highness."

Zelda met my eyes, confused. I shrugged slightly, saying silently to just go along with it.

"Well, you must be very tired from your journey here. My seneschal will show you to your chambers." The seneschal stepped forward from the shadows of the large room, and, his face expressionless, gestured for Junior to follow him. Junior, with a nod from me, started off after him, leaving Zelda and me alone. As soon as they were out of earshot, Zelda turned on me.

"Why did you bring Link's son? And where is Link?" she demanded angrily.

"It's a long story," I explained, pulling back my hood. "A very long story."

Zelda, exasperated, led me back up to her chambers. There, she sat on the couch, had me sit in the chair that had recently been added, and said, "So, what happened?"

* * *

Link sat high in the branches of the tree that had served as his house for over a decade. He was trying to escape the menace that paced the house below, one minute crying, and the next blaming everything for the loss of her child to "that witch," but mostly him. The last time he tried to comfort her, Ilia picked up and threw a chest at him. He had been able to duck it, but he wasn't going to take that chance again.

_What is _wrong_ with her?_ Link asked the world silently. _I was barely older than Junior when I set out on my quest. And it was the quest that brought us together._ But then, he remembered _her_. Midna. The woman he had let go. He felt the old, familiar pain in his chest whenever he thought of her. And that was a lot. Every night, he thought of her, and how different his life would have been if he just said something, anything, before she had left. Would she have stayed? Married him? Been the mother of his children? But most important, would she have been happy? Even in his and Ilia's most intimate moments, the thought of her intruded his mind. _Is that the reason Ilia doesn't want him to go? Because she's worried that something like that will happen to him?_

As he thought of these things, the memory of the meeting in Bo's house replayed itself in his mind. As he had walked in the door, he remembered seeing that cloaked figure, Zelda's messenger. _What was her name again?_ He couldn't remember. Link thought it was important, but he had been so weary… _Wait._ Zelda wouldn't have sent a messenger. She would have written a letter, like everyone else in Hyrule, and the postman would have delivered it. _It's Zelda; she does things differently than everyone else,_ he thought, justifying his initial acceptance. However, in that little corner of his mind, the doubt still prevailed.

Link was glad Junior had gone. He had witnessed how Ilia had treated him, even thought he had been too cowardly to act. Ilia had no control; she treated him as she had when he was an infant, never letting him do anything independently. Worse, her temper was horrific and unpredictable. It made even Link, who had faced monsters that could turn anyone's blood cold, shiver and cower under her murderous gaze. She expected everything from her son, yet never gave him the opportunity to prove himself. Ilia made him an outcast to the other children, who treated him with contempt.

Where had these thoughts come from? In ten years, Link had never thought of Ilia like this before. He had always disillusioned himself into thinking Ilia was right, always right. Had it been the message? The loss of Junior? Or the messenger? The quest? He wasn't sure, but for the first time in over a decade, Link could clearly see what Ilia was: a camouflaged monster, cloaked in the guise of a sweet, pretty girl. Of course, he still loved her; he'd give her one more chance to be the girl he had fallen in love with. If she wasn't…

"Link!" Ilia's voice shrieked in panic from below. The door below swung violently open, and light poured out onto the shadowed grass. Link realized that it was already night, and the stars were twinkling overhead, faded by the glorious, glowing moon. "Link!"

He scrambled down the tree, jumping off a low hanging branch to land on the ground in a crouch. Link grimaced in pain as Ilia ran to him, arms open. She embraced him, tears streaming down her face and into his tunic. Link held her cautiously.

"Link! I was so worried! I thought— I thought you left me, I couldn't find you, where were you, oh, darling…" Ilia buried her face in his shoulder.

_One more chance,_ Link thought. _One more chance, and then I'm gone._

* * *

I was jolted awake. Junior stood by my bed, holding a candle. "Wake up!" he shook me again. "Princess Zelda wants to see us!"

I groaned, sitting up. I had recounted my misadventures to Zelda last night, where she had listened patiently. Afterwards, we discussed whether Junior should and could go. Eventually, we compromised that Junior would have to decide if he wanted to go through a basic sword training with me before continuing on a long, arduous quest. Zelda had strongly been opposed to having him replace Link, but, being left with no other option, gave in to my proposal. Apparently, she was ready to have him decide now.

I rose from my bed and stretched, like a cat. Zelda had made sure I had my own bedroom this time. She had even supplied me with a wardrobe. I was clothed in a nightshift now, thinking that I'd be able to at least have a decent night's sleep.

"Wait outside," I instructed Junior, who was studiously averting his eyes from my (dare I say it?) curvaceous body. Once he was gone, I changed into a random something or other (I thought it was gray) from the tall, fat wardrobe that occupied the east wall of the room. It ended up being a skirt, so I had to grab a random shirt to go with it. After which, I quickly brushed out my hair with the brush laying on the vanity. I was binding it when I opened the door, surprising Junior with my haste getting ready. "Okay, lead the way."

Junior silently led me to the entry, his candle flickering in the spacious castle hallways, barely lighting anything more than a few paces away from the flame. In the entry, a servant met us, and directed us to a wing of the castle I had not visited yet. I assumed it was where the official business of ruling Hyrule was conducted. The windows that I glimpsed were all dark, the only light from the world beyond coming from the flickering stars, the disappearing moon, and the faint, bleary light of false dawn, meaning it was morning.

The room we were guided to was spacious, lined with shelves of books of all sizes and colors with one table situated in the center. Four chairs surrounded it, and two of them were occupied. Zelda, gowned in a silk gossamer shift under a heavily embroidered robe, was sitting straight as a board in one, with her hands neatly folded on her lap. I had to wonder if she had called this meeting because she couldn't sleep. _How rude. I'm emotionally exhausted._ The other chair, however, was occupied by a man I hadn't met before. He was tall and brawny, with large arms and chest supporting a round head. The man's skin was a creamy warm brown, and his eyes were a seducing yet rebellious brown. He wore the standard guard uniform, except he wasn't wearing his helm, and his sleeves were rolled up to reveal his bulging forearms. His feet were propped up on the table as he leaned back in his chair with his arms folded behind his head. I instantly found him attractive, yet somehow managed to keep a straight and solemn face. The man looked up at our coming, but he didn't rise. Neither did Zelda.

"Ah, thank you both for coming at this strange hour," Zelda said formally as way of apology. "Please, have a seat."

At the invitation, I gratefully took one of the ornately carved chairs. Junior followed suit, unaccustomed to court etiquette. Zelda leaned forward, resting her hands and forearms on the table. The man kept his relaxed stance, eyeing us with cool curiosity. I could feel his gaze on the back of my neck, but I refused to be unnerved.

"Junior— may I call you that?" Zelda asked politely. Junior nodded his assent. "Well, Junior, I have been informed that you haven't received training in the sword. Is this true?" Another nod from Junior. "Okay, if it is true, I need to explain something to you. This is your last chance to opt out of undertaking this quest. From here on out, you will go through more pain, suffering, and hardship than most of the people in Hyrule can recall. You will be submitted to arduous sword training, then travel to the Underworld, land of the dead, to rescue a lost soul, and then return. It will be dangerous, and there is a chance that you may not return. Do you still wish to proceed?"

Junior looked shaken, unsure. All eyes around the table were fixed on him. Feeling bad for the child, who must have been terrified, I grasped his hand under the table and squeezed reassuringly. He looked up at me, regaining confidence, and turned back to the princess.

"I will proceed," he declared.

Zelda smiled benevolently. "Well, since that's settled, I'd like to introduce to you both your sword instructor, Lieutenant Alfonzo. He is my best swordsman, legendary, actually, and he has agreed to take you both on as students."

All of us turned to look at the man, who coolly stared back, meeting all of our eyes. He held mine longer, staring more intently at me than Junior or Zelda. I returned the glare. "We start in the morning," he snapped, rising quickly. He ferociously stormed out of the room, but not before I saw the slight smile touch his lips at my blatant retaliation.

Zelda stared after him, obviously not used to that degree of disrespect. "I apologize for his behavior," she stammered, apologizing more to herself than to Junior or myself. Junior kept his head down, used to angry adults. I laid my hand on his shoulder in comfort and bid Zelda good night, encouraging Junior along with my hand. I led him to his room, helping the exhausted child to bed.

_Training with Lieutenant Alfonzo will prove to be most interesting,_ I silently thought, smiling to myself as I closed Junior's door. _Most interesting._


	7. Chapter 7: Passions

Chapter 7

Passions

As the watery light of dawn filled my room, I immediately regretted agreeing to such early training. I turned over, burying myself deeper in the blankets, but my accursed conscious wouldn't let me neglect my duties. I remorsefully arose, stretching my hated human tendons. I hadn't changed out of the outfit I had hastily thrown on in the night, but, seeing it in the poor light once again, I realized it was the least practical outfit to wear to sword training, as well as one of the most hideous. Rummaging through the wardrobe, I found a decent shirt and, at the very bottom, a pair of loose trousers. I grabbed the Swords of Twilight and a candle before hastily rushing out of my room. Next: fetch Junior. Hopefully, he would be awake, though I doubted it.

The halls of the castle were deserted, my shadow flickering eerily across the walls. My bare feet made almost no sound on the stone floors. Junior's room was on the floor below mine, for some reason unknown to me. A slight draft met me as I descended the stairs. Reaching the floor, I walked slowly, counting the doors. _Fourth door on the left,_ Zelda had told me. Cautiously, I tapped on the door, once, twice, three times. I heard grumbles from inside the room, and the sound of blankets being thrown off in angry reluctance. Apparently, my doubt had been correct: Junior had still been asleep.

The door cracked open, and the boy's head peered out. His hair was a mess, sticking out at all angles, and he wore only a nightshirt. Junior's eyes were slightly cracked open, as if the dim light hurt them.

"Wha?" Junior asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Training," I reminded him gently. "Get changed, quickly."

He nodded curtly, and shut the door. I leaned against the wall as Junior changed, the rustle of fabric calming me. I hadn't realized how nervous I was until now, but why? Why was I so nervous about exchanging blows with the lieutenant? I shrugged the thought off and forced my body to relax. Eventually, Junior creeped out the door, silently closing it. He carried no sword.

"Where's your sword?" I asked him, putting my hands on my hips. I couldn't blame him for being a bit sluggish, considering how early it was.

"What sword?" he responded, looking up at me with innocent eyes.

"The Master Sword, of course," I reminded him impatiently.

Junior blinked, cocking his head ever so slightly. "What d'ya mean? I don't have the Master Sword!"

Now it was my turn to be confused. "What?"

"My father returned it to the Sacred Grove, of course," Junior said, expecting me to know this already. "You know, after that imp went back to Twilight or whatever."

I clenched my fists silently, both in frustration and in anger. _Imp indeed! Is that all Link thought of me as? An annoying imp!_ "Fine, we'll get you a sword at training. Now hurry up!"

I turned around and stormed down the hallway. Zelda had told me where the guards' training room was earlier, so I knew where I was going. Junior jogged behind me, struggling to keep up. The only people we met on the way were servants, maids mostly, who were busy cleaning the expansive castle. They paid no heed to me, so I in turn ignored them. The guards' training room was on a lower floor, and the passages were dimly lit. At last, we reached the inconspicuous oak door of the training room. Two sconces held a torch on either side of the door. _How thoughtful of the lieutenant,_ I thought sarcastically to myself. I pushed the door open.

"You're late," Lieutenant Alfonzo pointedly said as we entered. He was lounging in a chair in the corner, next to a stand full of pikes.

I didn't think the comment dignified a response. "Junior doesn't have a sword," I informed him, arms crossed over my chest.

"Oh?" he asked, rising. "And you? Do you have a sword, m'lady?"

I pulled out the Swords of Twilight in a flash. "Two," I calmly retorted, swinging them back into their sheaths.

Alfonzo, meanwhile, had moved over to a sword rack on the wall. "Come here, Junior," he commanded. Junior conceded, nervous.

Lieutenant Alfonzo pulled down a broadsword, swung it in deliberation, and handed it to Junior. The tip fell heavily to the floor as Junior struggled to lift it.

"Well, that won't do," the lieutenant quietly muttered to himself, retaking the sword. He scanned the racks, and finally chose a smaller blade, one that the lieutenant could toss around easily. "Try this one."

Junior hesitantly took it, and, seeing that it was light, began swinging it around with childish vigor. Alfonzo nimbly stepped out of the way and proceeded to begin pacing. I stood still, recrossing my arms; my feet were spread shoulder width apart. I didn't trust the lieutenant to be the classroom-type teacher. He seemed to be the hands-on type. Junior joined me, knowing that the instruction was about to begin.

"Princess Zelda wished for me to instruct you both in the use of the sword," he began, "and I intend to do so. The sword is a noble weapon, to be used not to destroy, but to protect and save. There are many fine points to the sword, but I will only teach you the basics. First lesson is—" he drew his own sword in a flash and slashed at me. Luckily, I had been expecting this, and had been able to draw my own swords to parry it. "—always be prepared." He met my eyes, impressed. The lieutenant was slightly taller than I was, so we were at eyelevel. I met his gaze levelly, and after a second or two, he lowered his sword and resheathed it. I, however, didn't resheath mine. Junior had watched this scene with rapture, having never seen two adult wills battling.

Alfonzo redrew his sword and slashed at Junior, who barely managed to parry. "Are you paying attention?" Alfonzo teasingly asked him. Junior, not used to sarcasm or teasing in any form, lowered his head in shame. "Just messing with you," Alfonzo said, ruffling Junior's hair in apology.

"Today, I will begin with the basic positions," Alfonzo said, taking the position in front of us. "There are many starting positions, but we will start with the most common. It's meant for light swords and no shields. Just try and copy me," he instructed us. He assumed the first position, with his sword held in front of him at a diagonal, his other arm raised behind him. His right foot was forward, with his left foot underneath his shoulder pointing left, both knees bent.

I adjusted my feet and raised my right sword in front. The left I held vertically behind me, above my head, merely guessing at its position. I kept my knees bent, my eyes fixed on the lieutenant. Alfonzo dropped his position and moved over to assist Junior, who was having more problems than I was. After he was finished there, leaving Junior to attempt standing still, the lieutenant moved over to inspect me.

"You've had training before, haven't you?" he asked quizzically.

"I've had the privilege of observing a great swordsman," I informed him, referring, obviously, to Link.

"I'm assuming you don't mean me, right?" Alfonzo raised an eyebrow in interest.

"Of course," I said, spinning around him with a practiced ease I hadn't known I possessed.

"M'lady, those blades of yours are quite dangerous," he pointed out as one of them passed close to his shoulder. "And I would prefer to keep my limbs securely attached."

I laughed demonically. "Am I making you uncomfortable, lieutenant?"

"Quite," he stated, pushing my blades aside and stepping out of my circle.

"You're no fun," I accused him, resuming the starting position.

"No, I'm not," he said, redrawing his sword. "Now, from the starting position, we go into…"

* * *

The morning was bright and sunny, and even thought the cheery sunlight flooded Link's kitchen, his world was dark and stormy, a tempest. It had been almost a week since Junior had left for his quest, and the situation with Ilia hadn't improved. She was still an unpredictable cannon, set off by the tiniest spark. The night before, Link had merely wondered aloud if Junior was having as rough a time as he had had a decade ago when Ilia lit up. She yelled at him, shrieking something about how he hadn't had it that rough and how Junior was probably "having the grandest time cavorting with that witch," and then about threw a frying pan at his head. Link bore it patiently, silently thinking, _"One more chance."_

Link glared into his cloudy tea, unhappily brooding. Besides Ilia falling apart emotionally, he was falling apart physically. For the last week, he hadn't been sleeping very well, probably because of the nagging thought that kept slipping from his mind every time he almost figured it out. He was always exhausted from working at the farm, he wasn't hungry anymore, and he couldn't let his guard down at home due to Ilia. That morning, he had looked in the mirror only to see a haggard face staring back at him, eyes empty and dull. No trace remained of the boy that had set of to save his friends years ago, that was a distant memory. _What would Midna think of me now?_

"Good morning, dear," Ilia stepped into the kitchen and pecked him on the cheek. "Breakfast?"

"No, thank you," Link swirled his mug.

"Why are you so gloomy, Link?" Ilia took a chair and sat.

"I'm just tired, that's all," he said, not looking at her.

She paused. "You're thinking about her again, aren't you?" Ilia growled, crossing her arms.

"What? Who am I thinking of?" Link looked up, caught off guard.

"You know exactly who!" she snapped. Ilia stood up, flung the chair aside, and stormed over to the window. "I'm surprised you didn't leave with her, too."

Link sighed. "You mean the messenger. You know I wouldn't leave…" Link's voice trailed off. He couldn't bring himself to say "you, Ilia," because he wasn't certain that he wouldn't anymore.

"Messenger? She was no messenger: she was a witch!" Ilia screamed. "A foul, evil temptress! I had thought… I had thought she had left…"

Link's head snapped up, a faint spark returning to his eyes. "_Midna_…?"

"Yes, _Midna_! Who _else_ did you think it was!" Ilia shrieked, tears streaming down her face.

"Midna…" Link finally snapped. "She was here, and you _knew_! You didn't say a word! Ilia, how _could_ you!"

"She was trying to steal you from me…" Ilia stammered.

"And now I wish she had!" Link stood. "For _ten years_ I've put up with your crap, always telling myself I loved you, and it was worth it, but now I see the truth. You're a monster, Ilia! You always were! I'm going to take Junior's advice and finally get a backbone! I might have loved you once, but now I realize I settled for just another fan girl." And with that, Link turned and headed for the door.

"Link! You can't leave me!" Ilia wailed, grasping for him, clinging to him.

"I can, and I am."

"How could you care for Midna more than _me_?" she pleaded, sobbing as she hung on his shirt.

Link stopped, and finally the truth came to him. "Because I love her." The door shut, and Ilia was left alone, forever.

* * *

"Slash!" _Ss-clang. _"Parry!" _Shh-clash._ The rhythm was almost like a soothing melody to me, except for the fact that a sword was being thrust at me half the time. Alfonzo had graduated Junior and me to dueling, which I enjoyed with relish. It was, strangely, easy for me, though the same could not be said for Junior. The poor boy was slowly managing to grasp how to handle a sword. I thought he would do much better out in the field, like Link had.

Alfonzo had stopped our duel in order to adjust Junior's position, and to give him a few pointers. I held still, knowing that the lieutenant would inspect me next. For some reason, Alfonzo always was pushing me to limit, having me do things far beyond what we were practicing. When we had learned how to use a shield, Alfonzo had expected me to learn how to block with my swords, and had attacked me with more ferocity than a Darknut. I had barely managed to black his blows before he relented.

His arms went around me suddenly, going to my hands to adjust them. He twisted my right hand gently around the grip of the sword.

"There," he said quietly, his hot breath caressing my neck. "Just…like…that."

He lingered for a moment before lifting his arms away and fleeing. I closed my eyes, dizzy, my breath coming rapidly, my heart beating as fast as it had around Link. _Crap._ I could still feel Alfonzo's warmth on my back, but it quickly cooled with sharp reality. _What was happening to me?_

"Resume!" Alfonzo barked sharply, and Junior struck at me. I parried quickly, and slashed at him as he parried.

Practice lasted for another hour or so before the lieutenant dismissed us. For over a week now, we had been practicing for hours a day with Lieutenant Alfonzo; Junior and I had been practicing on our own afterwards, using the Hero's Shade's lessons, which Link had thoughtfully given his son at their parting. I had never witnessed these lessons; not being allowed in whatever world the Hero's Shade had lived in, I had been left in Hyrule for the fraction of a second that Link was gone. The moves were complex, difficult, but after practice, we managed to master them.

"Bob! Wanna practice?" Junior jogged after me as we left the guards' training room.

"No, not today, Junior," I said wistfully. "I just… want to be alone."

"Oh," Junior looked crestfallen. "Okay."

"Hey," I reached down and ruffled his hair. "We'll practice tomorrow."

"Promise?"

"I promise," I assured him, and watched as he ran off to explore the castle.

"Cute kid, uh?"

I turned around to find Zelda looking after him. "Walk with me," she commanded, and headed for the entrance.

I followed her to the castle's gardens, where she stopped to admire a flowering bush. "How's training?"

"Good. We're learning a lot," I told her honestly.

"Really? Just about swords or about other things as well?"

My eyebrows furrowed, confused. "What are you talking about?'

Zelda looked up to meet my eyes. "You seem shaken after you get out of training."

"So?"

"And Lieutenant Alfonzo seems subdued lately."

I shook my head. "Whatever you're thinking, you're wrong. There's nothing between us."

"Are you sure?"

"Well…"

Zelda waited. "There's no one around. Speak your mind."

"He's… different. Handsome, strong, smart, kind…" I closed my eyes and cleared my head. _Did I just say that aloud?_ "Oh, Goddesses, not now…"

Zelda took my hand to comfort me. "Let go."

"What do you mean?" I asked, afraid, opening my eyes.

"Let go of Link. He's gone, moved on. Don't spend your days waiting for him to come back. Find someone that truly cares for you and won't leave you. Don't be like me," Zelda said wistfully, holding my eyes with her steady gaze.

"You want me and Alfonzo…?"

"Yes."

I paused, considering. "But—"

"He'll be waiting for you after the quest. I know that," Zelda assured me.

"No, I can't. I might like him, but I can never let go of Link, not after everything we went through," I told her honestly.

Zelda nodded in understanding. "I understand completely. Just try, though."

I nodded, digesting all she had said. "Wait, what happened to you—"

"Forget it," she turned away, shaking slightly. I could tell she was crying; I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly before leaving.

Dusk was falling, and I could feel the spirits in my world crying for me to return. I walked through the castle to a secluded balcony at the top of a tower. No one came up there, leaving me to my thoughts. I watched as twilight settled over the world of light and sighed wistfully. The stars began to appear through the fading colors of the sunset, the sky a canvas of blacks, purples, blues, yellows, oranges, and reds. It was so beautiful…the overpowering memory of Link brought tears to my eyes. _Oh, Goddesses…_ my emotions were devastating. I was confused, heartbroken, and scared. The moon rose in the sky, full and bright.

"It's beautiful," a voice said quietly from beside me.

"Lieutenant!" I pulled away from the railing, startled.

Alfonzo straightened, looking awkward. "Sorry to disturb you, m'lady, I was just… um…"

I sighed, shaking my head slightly, looking out to the sky. "Don't apologize, lieutenant."

"You've been crying," he pointed out.

"Really?" I asked, wiping my eyes to find tears. "Oh, I guess I have."

He moved closer, gripping my arms gently so I couldn't pull away.

"I never thanked you properly for teaching us," I turned my head away.

"It was the least I could do," Alfonzo took my chin and tilted it up to the moonlight. "You're beautiful, you know."

I smiled slightly. Alfonzo gazed at me fondly for a second before leaning down and kissing me. I thought about resisting, but he was so soft, so gentle…I kissed him back, wrapping my arms around his neck. I let myself be caught up in his embrace, and I finally let go. For the first time in over ten years, I was truly happy. Then, the moment was ruined by the memory of Link, strong and powerful. I pulled away.

"I can't," I told Alfonzo. "I still love someone else."

"I know," he said sadly. "You love Link. It's okay. I'll wait for you."

"How did you know?" I asked, breathless.

"'Great swordsman'? There's only one left in this world: the hero Link. And how did I know you loved him? Just the way you acted around Junior gave it away."

I laid my head on his chest. "Thank you," I whispered before I left, striding sadly away. Alfonzo didn't see it, but I had started crying again.

Junior was in his room by now, practicing with his sword. I opened the door, not knocking. Junior took one look at me and dropped his sword.

"Lady?" he hesitantly asked. "Are you okay?"

"We're leaving," I told him. "Now."

Zelda had told me when we had arrived that she had visited the Sages again, who had told her where the entrance was to the Underworld and had given her the mask of the deceased Sage. This, and the location of the entrance, she had given me. I knew that we needed to begin the quest now.

"Okay," Junior consented and began packing. I went to my room, gathered all the saddlebags, and wrote a quick note to Princess Zelda:

_Zelda,_

_I tried to let go, but I'm not strong enough yet. Junior and I are setting off on our quest, but I'll be back. Tell Alfonzo that I am trying to let go of Link for him._

_Sincerely,_

_Midna_


	8. Chapter 8: Starting

Sorry, there's not a lot of action in this chapter. There will be next chapter, though!

* * *

Chapter 8

Starting

Link leaned back in the chair at Rusl's house as he prepared some tea. After he had left Ilia, he had come here in hopes to find shelter and advice, which he had. Now, he contemplated what to do next.

"Thanks again, Rusl," Link told the middle-aged smith as he brought the tea to the table.

"Don't mention it," Rusl said, pouring the tea. "So, what happened?"

"Well, I found out that Ilia hadn't told me that…Midna had come here," Link choked.

Rusl scratched his short beard, thinking. "Midna, the Twilight Princess?" Link nodded. "Was she the messenger?" Another nod.

"So I left her," Link sighed wistfully.

Rusl sipped his tea. "I don't blame you. We were hoping you'd figure out that she wasn't the one."

"Hmm…" Link took a sip of the tea. They sat in silence. "Have you ever truly forgiven me, Rusl?"

"Forgiven you? My son, I forgave you a long time ago," Rusl told him honestly.

"Really?" Link asked quietly.

"Yes, really. I forgave you that very day, actually. I forgave you when I saw you sitting there, in that corner, silently crying. I realized then that you hadn't meant to do it, and that you were still just a boy that had been through more than anyone could imagine."

Link drank more tea, looking away forlornly. "What should I do, Rusl?"

"Do? Well, that depends on what you feel about Midna."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you love her?"

Link paused. "Yes, I do. I see that now."

Rusl nodded. "Well, then, you need to go after her and get her back."

Link looked up, confused. "Get her back…?"

"Of course," Rusl explained. "Catch up with Junior and Midna, tell her how you feel, et cetera."

Link shook his head. "It would never work."

"Why not?"

"Well, first, I don't even know if she loves me. She could have gotten married when she was in Twilight. Then, I don't know where they've gone. And even if I did, I don't have a sword or a horse, and I would not make it without a sword."

Rusl smiled. "Well, I guess you'll find out if she loves you when you find her. I guess if you want to find out where they've gone, you should start with Princess Zelda. And I don't know if I can find you a horse, but a sword is no problem." Rusl rose and left the room. Crashing noises came from another room, and Rusl returned with a long, cloth-wrapped object. He unwrapped it to reveal a well-made sword.

"I made it after you and Midna stole the Ordon Sword, since I was worried about not having a gift to give the princess."

Link recoiled. "I swore after that incident I would never touch a sword again."

Rusl's brow furrowed before it darkened. "I once knew a man, a brave and honorable man," he said after a minute of intense silence. "My son loved this man as a hero. He looked up to this man, trusted this man. The man I knew never backed away from a challenge; he always faced it head on. Always. And whenever one of his friends was in danger, he would try his very best to save them. When he made a mistake," Rusl looked Link square in the eyes, "he fixed that mistake. The man I knew would go get her back, even if it meant leaving behind everything he had. Link, my son would want you to go after Midna, and he would want you to break your vow."

Link bowed his head, tears glistening in the corners of his eyes. Standing up, Link took the sword and held it in front of him, head still bowed. "I will get her back," he swore quietly. "For Junior, myself, and Colin."

* * *

In a storm, I blew the doors of the stable open, marching purposefully forward. The serene peace of the stables was tossed aside like a blanket, causing a small nervous panic in many of the younger horses. The Ordon goats could care less about the intrusion, however. They continued munching comfortably on their hay, while the horses started nervously sniffing the air for trouble, some even stamping the floor in alert. Anghenfil and Epona, however, merely looked up, saw us, and grabbed another mouthful of hay before being saddled up and ridden out. That was before, of course, Anghenfil saw the distressed expression on my face.

"_Goddesses, what happened to you!"_ Anghenfil exclaimed, dropping the hay in his mouth. _"You look like your heart just got torn out, ripped apart, and placed back in your chest!"_

"That's the gist of what happened," I gloomily muttered.

"What?" Junior quietly asked.

Sighing, I turned to him. "Junior, there's something I need to show you." I took out the Beast Stone. "Did your dad ever tell you about his quest ten years ago?"

"No," he admitted. "But my mother did."

I scowled. _I wonder how much of the truth she told him._ "Well, this is the stone that allowed Midna to turn Link into a wolf and then back into a human again. It allows me to talk to beasts and turn them into humans."

He recoiled, spitting on the ground superstitiously. "My mother told me that it was evil magic."

"Originally it was," I growled. "But, with the help of the Master Sword, it was converted into a more practical form of magic."

"But all magic is evil!" Junior insisted.

I ground my teeth in rage, yanked off the Beast Stone, and pressed it against Junior's forehead before he realized what I was doing. A flash later, and a tawny, young wolf stood where Junior had been moments ago. The pup looked perplexed, and, seeing the change, spun in a circle to get a better view of his tail. A few tight circles later, Junior fell into a dizzied heap. Anghenfil and Epona laughed from their stalls at the embarrassed pup. I was still smoldering, but it didn't escape my notice that he had turned into the Sacred Beast.

"_What did you do to me!"_ Junior demanded, standing back up unsteadily.

"What do you think? I gave you a taste of magic," I answered.

Junior gave a low growl, but I ignored it. Approaching Epona, I quickly saddled her and attached some of the saddlebags. Anghenfil was quiet, making it easy for me to tack him up and hook the rest of the bags onto his saddle. I took their bridles and led them out of their stalls before addressing Junior again.

"Ready to turn back again?" I asked him bitterly.

He looked back up at me excitedly. _"No, thank you."_

I shrugged, mildly surprised. "Whatever you want. Though, it will be awkward having two horses and a _mutt_. Epona, mind?"

"No."

I pressed the Beast Stone against her velvety nose, and she was transformed into a human, the saddle morphing into her clothes, the saddlebags hanging securely over her shoulders. I saw from the corner of my eye Anghenfil curiously examine her with his large red eyes. I offered to take some of her baggage, but she declined. We led Anghenfil out of the stables, Junior bounding after us as a wolf. Both of us mounted the massive stallion, with Epona sitting behind me. I spurred him forward, not even bothering to hold the reins. Junior trotted after us as we loped across the bridge and into the countryside.

"Why did we leave this way?" Epona asked me, curious. She had a point: we were taking the long way to our destination. "And why can't you just warp us there?"

"Have I even told you where we're going?" I replied.

"_I doubt you've told anybody where we're going,"_ Anghenfil interjected.

"You've got a point," I admitted. "Junior doesn't have the Master Sword in his possession. In fact, he really doesn't have a sword at all. We forgot to grab one."

"So we're going to the Sacred Grove?" Epona inquired.

"Yes."

"_Where's that?"_ Anghenfil confusedly asked. I had forgotten; Anghenfil probably had never heard of the Sacred Grove.

"Just go to the Forest Temple," I told him.

"Again, why can't you just warp us there?" Epona wondered.

I smiled and looked back at Junior. "Because, Junior needs to have at least a little bit of fun to begin with. You know how arduous quests can be, Epona."

I saw her smile and nod in maternal agreement. "Yeah, I know. I still remember how serious and grave Link was after his quest."

The stars tonight were bright, and the full moon lit our way. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop thinking about Alfonzo. Was leaving the right thing to do? Should I have had Alfonzo help me forget Link? Could I have been happy with him? Questions with no answers swirled in my head, threatening to drive me mad. Anghenfil kept a steady pace, however, and soon I focused only on the rhythm of his hooves. The countryside speed past, and soon we were in Hyrule Field. Junior playfully attacked the bokoblins, who kept a safe distance. Anghenfil kept moving, taking the narrower path into the forest. Before long, Anghenfil had gotten us to the ramp that led to the Forest Temple.

"Stop here," I instructed the stallion. Twisting in my seat, I addressed Epona and Junior. "We'll camp here until morning."

Epona and I dismounted and removed his saddlebags, dumping them unceremoniously on the ground. Junior sat patiently nearby, watching us curiously. I looked up at him and scowled slightly.

"You know, you could help us," I patronized him.

"_But I'm having so much fun!"_ he insisted, letting out an excited yip.

"Ugh," I rolled my eyes and pressed the Beast Stone to his nose.

In a flash, Junior was sitting in the grass. He looked up at me, crossed his arms, and pouted. "_Oh_…"

"Deal with it," I snapped at him and returned to the bags, where I found a blanket and tossed it to him. "Get some sleep."

"Why?" he grumbled, obviously still upset.

"Because, tomorrow is going to be a long day," I told him honestly, remembering how long it had taken us the first time. _Curse that Skull Kid_…

"Okay," he reluctantly relented, curling up in the blanket. A few moments later, I could hear the soft, steady breaths of his sleep.

I turned to Anghenfil and Epona. "So, equines or humans tonight?"

They looked at each other, one a horse, and the other human. _"Human," _they simultaneously agreed.

I approached Anghenfil, pressed the Beast Stone to his nose, and watched as the stallion morphed into the handsome man. From the corner of my vision, I saw Epona's eyes light up in surprise. I smiled, finally understanding, but I nicely said nothing. The two grabbed blankets and laid them out to sleep.

"I'll take the watch," I offered generously.

"Watch?" Epona asked, laying down on the blanket.

"Just in case some monsters ambush us in the night," I said. "I don't trust these woods."

Epona shrugged, but Anghenfil wasn't so satisfied. "Then I should take it."

I shook my head, closing my eyes in exasperation. "I'm the only one with a sword, remember?"

His eyebrows furrowed, but he had to agree to my logic. Anghenfil lay down, too, and minutes later, my party was softly snoring. I grinned to myself and settled against the mossy rock face of the little valley we were nestled in. The night was silent, peaceful, and eerily beautiful. Almost magical. I should have taken out Junior's lamp, but I could see fine without it. The morning was still a few hours away according to the moon's position. Torches flickered at the entrance to the Temple.

"_Mrreooww,"_ a feline greeted me from the shadows. _"Zerrre you arrre! I have been looking all overrr forrr you!"_

"You!" I hissed. "Evil cat!"

The cat, Telma's cat, stepped out into the moonlight and gracefully walked over to me. _"I have a name, you know. It iz Louise."_

"Well, Louise, I can now tell you I did regret that night but I regretted the next day even more," I grumbled.

"_Oh, you poorrr dearrr,"_ she said, jumping on my chest and rubbing her head on the Beast Stone. A flash (luckily no one woke up), and a gorgeous young woman was sitting next to me. She had delicate, perfect features in a small, round, doll face, framed by white-blonde hair complete with startling green eyes. She wore a short, skin-tight leggings and a top that was dangerously low. I rolled my eyes: _cats._

"Do cats always look like that as humans?" I wondered aloud, with just a hint of sarcasm.

"You should zee ze tomcatz," Louise said mischievously.

"Wait," I calculated. "What do you mean? How do you know—"

"—what zey look like?" she shrugged. "Catz can zee on many planez of exiztenze. Which rrremindz me, you look differrrent."

I paused, surprised. "What?"

"I don't know," Louise turned away from me and inspected her viciously sharp nails. "You juzt do."

I rolled my eyes again, this time in annoyance. "So, what are you doing here, Louise?"

"Keeping an eye on you, of courrrze," she told me. "Zuch werrre my inztrrructionz."

"Instructions?" I asked.

"Arrre you denze? Inztrrructionz frrrom my miztrrrezz," she glared at me, her bright green eyes sending chills up my spine. They were the eyes of a huntress.

"Telma sent you? _Why_?" I paused, then shook my head. "Not to look after me, I hope."

"No, of courrrze not," Louise waved the suggestion. "To get ze ztorrry."

I looked away, not at all comfortable. "So, you're joining our little party?"

Louise shrugged. "Zurrre, why not? I will join yourrr little fellowship."

I shook my head, exasperated. "It wasn't supposed to be like this," I grumbled to myself.

"Of courrrze it izn't," she responded to my rhetorical comment. "Zeze zingz neverrr go accorrrding to plan."

"Like you would know," I snapped.

"Oh, but I would," Louise's eyes glittered in the cold moonlight. "I am much olderrr zan I appearrr, and I have zeen many a quezt in my time."

I shrugged, not sure how to respond to such a claim. We sat in silence for a time, merely looking at the stars. Strangely, I felt more comfortable with Louise, perhaps because her senses were more refined and acute. Morning was only a few hours away. I had never had the opportunity to really see a full sunrise before. In the past, I had always been rushing about with Link, worrying about something or another. Now, I could really enjoy it. The sky was gray before the silence was broken.

"Louise?"

"Yez, darrrling?"

"Do you…do you think Link and Ilia are a good match?" I asked hesitantly.

Louise looked at me a chuckled slightly. "Don't you mean, 'do I prrreferrr you orrr Ilia', yez?"

"No, I didn't—"

"Yez, you did. And, to anzwerrr zat, I would have to zay zat onze I did prrreferrr Ilia, but now…" Louise shrugged. "Zingz arrre differrrent."

"What do you mean?" I asked, curious.

"Well, did you zee Ilia at all rrrezently?" I nodded. "She haz become a monzterrr. And beforrre, you werrre, no offenze, verrry zelfish. Now, you have changed, and have become morrre… awarrre."

"Thanks, I guess."

The light peeked out from the horizon. I should have woken my companions, but I was feeling generous. Besides, the addition of yet another companion would be quite a shock. Silently, I wondered if this was the will of the Goddesses. _Was it fate that we should come together for this quest? But then, was it fate that I fell in love with Link?_ I braced for the pain, but now, with the sun rising slowly to the east, I realized that question didn't hurt as much. I smiled. _Finally._

* * *

Link strapped the sword across his back, the heavy weight of the scabbard a familiar comfort. Rusl was gathering supplies, yet another generous favor Link owed the man that was practically his surrogate father. Link contemplated his journey as he waited, absently tracing wood grains on the kitchen table. After a while, Rusl entered the room, two rucksacks in hand. Link raised his eyebrow in skeptic confusion.

"You didn't think I'd let you go off on the next great quest alone, did you?" Rusl grinned mischievously.

"Rusl…" Link shook his head. "I can't—"

"Yes, you can, and you will." Rusl tossed him a sack. "Plus, you're going to need me if we're going to the Underworld. I know the only way to kill the dead."

"Really?"

"Old trade secret," Rusl said proudly.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Link rose and followed Rusl to the door, curious. Who would be knocking at such a late hour? Rusl hesitantly opened the door, just to meet a fury of nails, hair, and wailing pleas.

"Link! Link! I love you! Come back, sweetie! I know _you love me!_" Ilia screeched.

Fists clenched, Link was a hair away from drawing his sword on her. Rusl, however, looked calmly at her and sternly said, "Go away."

"_NO_!" she refused, attempting to shove the door open to get to Link. "You can't make me!"

Rusl drew a dagger and pointed it at Ilia's throat with the grace of an experienced swordsman. "I said, go now, Ilia. Your marriage to Link is now officially annulled."

"You can't do that!" Ilia protested.

"Oh, but I can. I married you two, and I can divorce you. Now, leave; you're trespassing on my property."

Ilia screamed, a horrible sound belonging to not a woman, but a beast. She collapsed into a bundle on the ground, shaking with sobs. A part of Link wanted to go to her and comfort her, but that part was very small and very recently overpowered and defeated. Now, Link mostly felt disdain.

Rusl headed back inside. He kissed his wife, who had rushed to the door to see what the commotion was about, good-bye. "Let's go, Link," he said, stepping across the threshold. Link followed suit, carefully avoiding the pitiful heap that was Ilia.

"Good bye," Link whispered regretfully to the old Ilia, the one who had vanished behind the vanity and jealousy of the new one.

That would be the last time he ever saw her.


	9. Chapter 9: Companionship

I am so sorry I haven't posted in forever! I've just been incredibly busy…especially with _Oblivion_ (hint hint, maybe). But, here it is! Oh, and I found another song for Midna: _Rolling in the Deep_ by Adele. You might recognize it from the _I Am Number Four_ commercials. Sorry, I'm obsessive. Hope you like the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 9

Companionship

Of course, there was chaos that morning. Louise smiled sweetly as she was regarded with suspicious, and reverent, looks. Anghenfil was the most wary, absolutely sure she was going to be trouble. Epona pursed her lips, shaking her head slightly in displeasure. Only Junior seemed to be taking the news well. He was enraptured with her beauty. I knew, of course, that his adoration was trivial, no more than a crush. And, before the end of this journey, his heart would be crushed. Poor child.

I shook my head slightly as Anghenfil and Epona moved off to the side, quietly conversing and secretly casting furtive glances toward her. "Why do you lead Junior on like that?"

"What?" Louise asked innocently, looking at him.

When I had seen that Junior would spend all his time gawking over her, I said put him to work, having him pack up our supplies. However, he did this half-heartedly, mostly staring wide-eyed at Louise every chance he got. She met his eyes and smiled, and Junior blushed, his mind turning to mush until he caught my glare, reminding him of his duties. He returned to his task solemnly.

"What do you mean, 'what'? He's fawning over you, and you're letting him!"

"Zo?" she shrugged off my anger.

"So, you know as well as I do that crushes are always crushed," I reminded her, again making a painful reference to Link.

Louise shook her head. "Yourrrz waz no merrre crrrush," she reprimanded me.

I glowered, but said nothing, instead I returned to eating my scant breakfast. I had distributed portions earlier, but had just found the time to eat mine. I had, luckily, packed extra food supplies, at the advice of… of…Alfonzo…

"Midna!" Anghenfil awakened me from my stupor. "We're ready to go."

I blinked. "Right…"

* * *

After just a little over a day, Link and Rusl arrived at the gates of Castle Town. It was midafternoon; the sun was high in the sky, bright and jovial. Rusl was sweating and panting, but, despite, his age, he still had the energy of youthful excitement. To Link, the trip had been a pilgrimage, cleansing his spirit every step he took away from Ordon Village. Though, he was glad to finally be here.

Castle Town had, of course, changed from when Link had last been there. Now, the fan girls had grown and married decent, stable husbands, and the new crop was more interested in the younger specimens. The people were still busy but pleasurable, not bothering with greeting strangers but not hostile, either. New shops had opened in the main square surrounding the ever bright, gurgling fountain. There weren't as many strays, either, which was, hopefully, a good sign. After his time as a wolf, he had developed a new respect for animals.

Link walked with purpose, wanting to go and see Princess Zelda immediately. He blustered through the traffic, leaving Rusl to tag hopelessly behind. However, soon he had lost Rusl. He wove back through the crowds, looking for the older man, and found him conversing with the most unlikely of people: Shad.

"Link!" the nerdy scholar exclaimed, taking his hand and shaking it forcefully. "What a pleasant surprise! We've had no excitement since you and ol' Rusl here left us!"

Link chuckled in apprehension. Link respected Shad, but something warned him that Shad still had an interest in adventures.

"So, is it true you're going on a quest?" he asked, being slightly too forward.

Link cast a menacing look at Rusl, but replied coolly, "No."

"Oh," Shad's face fell in disappointment.

"Well, we'd better get going, Rusl. Nice seeing you again, Shad," Link grabbed his friend by the arm and led him away.

He didn't know it, but Rusl turned back and winked at Shad. Shad nodded, his eager smile returning as he ran off. Rusl smiled mischievously as Link led him toward Hyrule Castle.

* * *

Rusl knocked on the wood door before entering. Ashei was inside, polishing her sword with immaculate care. She looked up at the sound of the door opening and, seeing him, stood up and smiled.

"Shad, darling!" she embraced him, kissing him heartily.

After a fervent kiss, Shad broke the kiss. "Honey, Link and Rusl are in town!"

"A quest, yeah?" Ashei asked excitedly. He nodded enthusiastically.

Her face lit up, a bright smile spreading across her face. "I'll pack our supplies. Meet you at Telma's bar, yeah?"

"Yeah," Shad kissed her again and hurried out the door. The group was almost complete.

* * *

"I thought something was amiss!" Auru slammed his mug down on the table in Telma's bar after Shad told him the news. "Now I know there is!"

"So, you're coming, right?" Shad verified.

"Of course I'm coming! I'd be a fool not to!" the elderly man roared. He was still quite strong for his years.

Just then, Ashei entered the bar, three packs slung over her strong shoulders, her old armor snugly strapped on. "Are you two ready?" she asked.

Auru stood. Shad looked meekly at Telma. "Are you sure you're not coming, Telma?"

"Sure as I can be, honey," the stocky woman assured him. "Trust me; I'll know everything before you get back."

Ashei scowled from the doorway. "The bar will be fine without you, Telma."

"Oh, I know sweetie," she said. "I'm just too old to be going on a quest, that's all."

The three headed out and waved goodbye to Telma. Then, they set resolutely toward Hyrule Castle.

* * *

Link and Rusl were immediately allowed entrance to the castle, which slightly surprised Link. He wasn't sure if this was just a laxity in security, or if the guards recognized him. He was fairly sure it was the first.

The castle was different than he remembered it. Instead of the harsh, plain green of the grass and hedges, flowers bravely accented certain paths in the surrounding courtyard. The castle itself was also brighter, perhaps because of Zelda's influence. Whatever the reason, the castle now shone a startling white. A stream of traffic carried them into Hyrule Castle's main foyer.

Inside, an interesting scene greeted them. King Bulblin, who Link hadn't encountered in ten years, was lurching toward the door, a determined look on his face. Princess Zelda was standing on the stairs, yelling after him.

"She's been gone two days!" Zelda cried. "She's probably already in the Underworld already!"

"I owe her a debt," the large, green bulblin responded. "I must try my best to fulfill it." And with that, King Bulblin thundered out of the castle, pushing past Link and Rusl without giving them a second glance.

Zelda, however, was more perceptive then the bulblin. She noticed them almost as soon as he left. "Dear Goddesses!" she paled. "Link!"

"Okay, where's Midna?" Link demanded.

Zelda reached toward the banister for support. "Traveling to the Underworld as we speak. Why?"

Link furrowed his eyebrows. "You know exactly why, Zelda."

"She might, but I don't," a new voice spoke. It belonged to a young Hylian male with a handsome face and beefy muscles. "What do you want with Midna, stranger?"

"Stranger?" Link clenched his fists. "Watch how you speak to your elders, pup!"

Zelda covered her eyes in exasperation. Rusl laid a restraining hand on Link's shoulder and whispered, "It's not worth it."

"Lieutenant, this is a personal matter between myself and this gentleman. Would you please excuse us?" Zelda diplomatically intervened. The angered soldier retreated reluctantly. She turned her glare on Link. "Link, go home."

Link scowled at her defiantly. "I'm sorry your highness, but… no."

"Link, you're too stubborn for your own good," the princess shook her head. "Do you know how much pain you've caused Midna for the past decade?"

This gave Link pause. "What?"

Zelda sighed. "Figures." She closed her eyes and took a breath. "While you were suffering with an obsessive, yet loving, wife and a wonderful son, Midna was trapped in Twilight with no one to talk to, no one to help her with her feelings, no one to help her forget about you." Zelda locked eyes with him, her piercing gaze sending shivers down his spine. "For two weeks I watched the ravages you wreaked on her. Did you know that she hasn't gotten over you? Do you know how much distrust she now has because of you?"

"How is this my fault?" Link ground his teeth. "She left me!"

"She left you because she thought you didn't love her!" Zelda snapped, leaning over the banister. "The whole reason you started that quest, besides promising Midna, was to rescue Ilia! You might have forgotten, but she was there when Ilia got her memories back! She saw how you looked at her! How was that supposed to make her feel?"

"Oh," Link managed, realizing the truth behind her words. "Goddesses, was I a fool!"

"So, you're Link, then?" the young Hylian reappeared.

"Lieutenant!" Zelda barked. "I said this was a personal matter!"

"I know that, your highness, but when I heard the raised voices…" he explained. "And since this is Link, it makes it my business, too."

"How's that?" Link queried, crossing his arms.

The Hylian gave him a pointed glare. "I love Midna, but she can't get over you. Her heart is completely fractured, thanks to you."

That made Link furious. He began lunging toward the lieutenant, but Rusl grasped his arms restrainingly.

"Link, leave," Zelda commanded. "If you still love her, go tell her so. You know where the Underworld is." And with that, she spun on her heel and ascended the staircase, leaving the Hylian alone with Link and Rusl.

"I know you love her," the Hylian said. "And I know you would be better for her than me. Just, please, help her."

Rusl pulled Link out of the castle. Slowly, Link's anger faded to regret. He shouldn't have spoken so harshly to the princess, or even the lieutenant. He just couldn't believe another was in love with Midna…

"Where to?" Rusl asked him as they left Hyrule Castle.

"Huh?" Link looked up from the street. "Oh, to the Underworld."

"Yes, but where is that?" Rusl demanded.

"You'll see, just follow me," Link dismissed the question.

"Hey, Link!" a female voice called. The two looked up to find Ashei waving at them, trailed by Shad and Auru, all carrying laden packs.

"What are you all doing here?" Link asked quizzically.

Shad grinned sheepishly as Ashei replied tartly, "Joining your quest, of course."

Link glared at Rusl, who merely smiled and winked before greeting the party. Sighing, Link shook his head. "Fine!" he gave in. The party turned to look at him. "Let's get going."

* * *

"I can't believe this," Anghenfil complained. "You don't seriously expect us to do this, do you?"

"Of course I do," I said cheerfully, enjoying the stallion's embarrassment. "How else are we going to get down there?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe warrrp uz zerrre," Louise muttered.

Junior was jumping up and down with excitement. "This is going to be fun!"

We were standing at the edge of the valley, the bridge to the Forrest Temple only a few meters away. However, we weren't going to the temple; we were going to the Sacred Grove. And that was on the other side of a huge rock plateau. So, the only way to get there was by going down the sheer rock face of the plateau that formed a side of a huge, deep gap that separated our valley from the temple. And, it was practically impossible to jump to the ledge that led to the Sacred Grove. Especially since it was out of view, all the way around a corner. So how were we going to get down? Simple: the Golden Cucco.

"Okay, Anghenfil," I smiled. "You go first."

His face fell. "What!"

"You're the strongest and the quickest thinker out of all of us. You'll be able to navigate the jumps, and then help the rest of us," I explained.

"I hate you, you know that?" he grumbled, but he approached the Golden Cucco was care.

The Golden Cucco was actually more like a yellow chicken with a bad attitude. He thought he was king of the Cuccos, and wandered Faron Woods at leisure, even though he had originally belonged to Rusl.

The egotistical chicken squawked with rage when Anghenfil attempted to pick him up. "TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE CUCCO! I AM GOLD AND NOT FOR YOU-OO!" he exclaimed. "I AM THE CUCCO KING, AND AM A MOST EXULTED BEING!"

I sighed. To the rest of my party (except perhaps Louise), the Cucco's ramblings were nothing more than angry squawks and violent wing flapping. Anghenfil lunged at the Cucco again.

"Anghenfil, step aside, please," I interjected. I approached the crazed Cucco and bowed. "Your highness," I interrupted.

"Ah, a respectful two-legged beast. What is it you want?" he demanded.

"I must apologize for my friend's rudeness. My acquaintances and I require your services to cross this—" I gestured to the gorge. "—great expanse in order to reach the Sacred Grove."

"I see," the Cucco bobbed his head. "You do realize that this menial task is far beneath me, and that to perform it would be incredibly undignified?"

"Yes, your highness, I do. But, if you assist us, your name will go down in history for your valiant deeds," I promised him.

"Hmm," the chicken considered. "Fine, I will assist you, but only for the glory of assisting heroes to the Sacred Grove."

"Thank you, your highness," I bowed again, and then looked up. Louise was smirking silently, and Anghenfil, Epona, and Junior were all staring at me as if I was crazy. "What? He's going to help us now."

"Oh," they all said in unison, nodding their heads in understanding.

Anghenfil hesitantly held out his arms, and the Cucco king gingerly stepped between them, allowing the stallion to lift him above his head. Then, he ran off the small ledge and started gliding toward the first shelf, which was a tree. The Golden Cucco flapped his wings violently, trying to stay awing, but Anghenfil's weight made them descend rapidly. Luckily, they made it to the shelf. Anghenfil searched for the next shelf and jumped. Then, he jumped to the corner shelf and disappeared out of view. A few minutes later, after he had crossed the bridge and dodged the two swinging rocks I recalled were there from memory, the Golden Cucco came flying back to us. Epona breathed a silent sigh of relief when the Cucco returned. Junior went next, eagerly grasping the Cucco. Another few minutes, and the Cucco flew back into view after Junior had arrived safely at the entrance. Epona was next. The middle-aged woman looked strange hanging from the yellow chicken.

"Zo," Louise began, turning to me as Epona descended. "Can I eat him when we'rrre done?"

"What?" I exclaimed. "No, you may not eat him."

"Why not?" Louise pouted. "He will be of no uze to uz."

"Yes, but he might be of use to others after us," I pointed out.

Louise grumbled, crossing her arms and pouting, but she relented. The Golden Cucco returned, and she grabbed him, licking her lips as she jumped. The Cucco seemed a bit wary of her.

I had to admit, I didn't really want to go cucco jumping either. It was kind of… demeaning. After all, a yellow chicken was flying us across. Then, I got an idea. I searched around the area for a little bit until I found the reed-like plant Link had often used to summon animals like birds. They were more abundant than I remembered them being. I plucked a stem, smiling mischievously. Imbuing it with a bit of my magic, I played a little tune. Seconds later, the flapping of huge wings could be heard. A Kargarok landed in the clearing and bowed, allowing me to mount it. Compared to the Shadow Kargaroks of my homeland, these birds were hideous, with bald, red heads, a beak the same size as their heads, and leathery wings like a bat. I hoisted myself onto its back, and magically steered it toward the ledge of the valley. Below me, the Golden Cucco cowered in fear. The gigantic bird easily soared around the corner, over the bridge, and under the rocks. Of course, as soon as I landed, I was met by my angry comrades.

"What?" I asked defensively as the Kargarok took off in a flurry of wing beats.

Anghenfil threw up his hands in defeat, and Epona shook her head. However, they turned and headed toward the shadowy tunnel that led to the Sacred Grove. Junior, Louise, and I followed. The entry of the grove was quite a sight. Giant, green trees towered over the clearing, shading the rich moss and grass below. I had sincerely hoped that we wouldn't have to chase the Skull Kid around, but, unfortunately, there he was, waiting for us. The Skull Kid was a unique character, with grayish skin that resembled wood, red eyes, round head, a curling, pointed hat, a horn, and a lantern. He smiled and, giggling, ran away with his lantern bobbing in front of him.

"What the…?" Anghenfil started.

"The Skull Kid," I spat, "the most annoying being in Hyrule." Besides Ilia, I thought silently to myself.

"Why?" Junior asked innocently. "He seems nice."

"That's because he can't wait to attack us with his puppets," I pointed out. "Look, the Skull Kid is the only one that can let us get to the Master Sword. We have to chase him and attack him until he gives us access to the inner grove."

"Oh, wonderrrful," Louise rolled her eyes.

"So, this is how we're going to do it. Epona, Anghenfil, I'm afraid, since you two don't have any weapons, that you're going to attack as horses. Louise…" I glanced over her, "you'll be fine as a human. Just beat the snot out of him. Junior, you'll ride Epona. We're going to split up. Follow the light from his lantern."

I pressed the Beast Stone against Epona and Anghenfil's hands, turning them back into horses. Junior mounted Epona, and the horses galloped off after the Skull Kid. Louise and I followed behind at a jog. The grove was a maze, designed to confuse adventurers. Rock tunnels and giant tree platforms and bridges offered many places for its guardian to hide. The next chamber led to two tunnels, one straight and one over a shallow pond. The horses cantered straight, so Louise and I splashed over the pond to the next chamber. A horde of wooden puppets met us on the other side, their creepy faces leering at us. I unsheathed my swords, slashing two apart in one swing. I saw Louise shatter one with a kick to its middle, then rip off the head of another. Fairly soon the puppets lay in splinters, and we moved on. Up ahead I could see the Skull Kid bouncing away from us. I sprinted toward him, but his stupid puppets blocked me. As I hacked their animated bodies to wood chips, Louise pounced on the Skull Kid and toppled him to the ground, pinning him to the ground and punching him repeatedly. Somehow, he managed to wiggle free and, with a giggle, ran off.

"Gah! I hate this place!" I growled.

Through the tunnel the Skull Kid had escaped through, I could hear the whiny of horses as they bounded after him. I gestured to Louise, and we followed the sound. The crunching of wood under hooves led us to a strange scene. Epona was kicking and trampling puppets with Junior clinging desperately at her mane while Anghenfil reared up on the cornered Skull Kid. Louise went and helped Epona, and I waited for the Skull Kid to bolt. Of course, he managed to escape Anghenfil and ran off. As Anghenfil ran past me, I grasped his mane and pulled myself on. We flew through the tunnel and, seeing the Skull Kid's lantern, nudged Anghenfil through the tree tunnel into yet another chamber. A group of puppets lunged at Anghenfil; I jumped off and raced after the annoying puppet master. Finding him on a tree bridge, I slashed at him repeatedly, using some of Alfonzo's techniques and the Hero's Shade's moves. Naturally, he didn't die, but after I knocked him around a bit, he popped up and ran to the other end of the bridge, which was a tree wall. He touched the smooth grain, and the door slid away. Turning back to look at me, he scarecrow-looking guardian gave me an encouraging smile and dropped off the ledge behind him.

From experience, I knew that below the ledge the Skull Kid was assembling a large force of puppets that he could renew at will. It was absolutely ridiculous, and almost impossible to get close to him alone to kick his can all the way to Snowpeak. So I patiently waited for the rest of my party to assemble on the bridge. Anghenfil was first, thundering across the span and screeching to a halt a few meters in front of me. He snorted in fiery anger, too tired to talk. Louise came next, breathing hard and sweating heavily, but otherwise ready for a fight. Epona and Junior were last. With all of us present, I began my battle strategy.

"Look, the Skull Kid has a nice surprise for us down there: hundreds of wooden puppets are waiting for his command to attack us. He won't send all of them at us at once, instead preferring to tire us out. There's a circle of rocks down there, and he'll be perched on one. As soon as we get a good hit in, he'll jump to another. So, the plan is that Anghenfil, Louise, and I will attack the wooden puppets and try to get to the Skull Kid. Meanwhile, you, Epona, will try to allow Junior to get a good shot at him. You do know how to shoot, right, Junior?"

Junior nodded, pulling out the Hero's Bow and Link's quiver from Epona's saddlebags. "I used to hunt around Ordon."

"Good," I twirled my blades absently. "Behind me, there's a little cliff and a drop down to the clearing. Just a fair word of warning."

I spun around and rushed toward the cliff, throwing myself off recklessly, falling gracefully, but landing safely. Louise followed, doing a swan dive and somersaulting in mid-air before landing in a crouch. Anghenfil dropped heavily to the ground, but otherwise was okay. Epona fell, with Junior precariously clinging to her neck. He lost his grip and started free falling, but, luckily, I managed to catch him, even with my swords. I set him gently down and surveyed the battlefield.

It turned out I was right. The Skull Kid was crouched on a large, mossy rock in the middle of a boulder ring. High, rock walls enclosed the area. He waved slyly at me and then blew his horn, summoning his hordes of puppets. With a cry, I rushed at the wooden dolls with Louise and Anghenfil close behind. As I cut down the puppets, I caught a glimpse of Epona and Junior circling the ring of boulders, Junior trying to get a good shot.

Somehow, I managed to break through the throng of what seemed like at least fifty puppets. Jumping nimbly up on the rock, I smiled devilishly at the Skull Kid. He smiled sweetly at me, forming the shape of a heart with his forefingers and thumbs. I scowled and swiped my sword through the center of the heart. The Skull Kid pouted, the heart broken. Then, he smiled and, with one forefinger, swiped his fingertip along the break, like he was spreading a sticky substance along the crack. Then, he reattached the other half of the heart and giggled. I raised an eyebrow and, without a second thought, attacked. After I gave him a good beating, he struggled up and jumped to another rock as a swarm of puppets attacked me. I swung my swords in a circle, twirling like a dancer as I cut the puppets down with a swipe.

Finally, Junior fired an arrow and hit the Skull Kid square in the chest. He was thrown backward, off his rock. Any normal person would have died from a wound like that, but the Skull Kid just bounced back up, giggled, and moved on to another rock, summoning some more puppets to attack us. I managed to escape my rock, and rejoined Anghenfil and Louise. As I hacked away at the endless swarm of puppets, Louise managed to pounce on the Skull Kid, and held him until Junior fired a shot through his head. All of a sudden, the puppets dropped lifelessly to the ground as the Skull Kid's hat fell from his head. His head lolled to the side, as if he had actually died. I felt a pang of sadness at his death, until his body sprang back into life, disappearing out of Louise's arms in a shower of sparks. He reappeared near his hat and, picking it up, jumped inhumanly high, supported by magic.

"That was fun!" he said in a high, squeaky voice that sounded incredibly similar to a young child. "Bye!" He winked at me, then disappeared in a cloud of golden, magical sparks.

An entrance opened in the wall, allowing us access to the inner grove, where the Temple of Time and the Master Sword lay. I breathed a sigh of relief: finally. But first, I jumped up beside Louise and made sure she was okay. She nodded, and I moved over to Anghenfil, turning him back into a human and asking him the same thing. He nodded, too, obviously exhausted. Epona trod tiredly over, Junior looking weary on her back.

"You two okay?" I asked, lifting the unresisting child off Epona. He gave me a nod, and she whickered softly. I turned her into a human, and we continued on.

Of course, there was another cliff we had to drop off of. Louise went first, followed by myself. We then helped the exhausted horses and Junior down. The place we had landed was a balcony, covered with moss and grass. A broken staircase led down to the courtyard, where two stone guardians awaited us. The door to the Temple of Time stood waiting, beckoning. I had entered it, and had seen this courtyard in all its glory. Now, I looked sadly at the ruins of the great temple.

"Now what?" Louise asked sourly.

"Now, Junior will head down there, complete the puzzle, and get the Master Sword," I said.

"A puzzle?" Junior complained. "After all that?"

"Your father did it, so you'll do it too," I snapped. "Now get going!"

Grumbling, Junior headed down the intact side staircase and approached the statues in the courtyard. As soon as he stepped on the Triforce symbol in the center, a light engulfed him. It faded, leaving Junior a wolf pup. Strangely, a Triforce symbol glowed on his right paw. The courtyard was split into blocks of ground, and the guardian statues were animated, moving forward to talk to Junior and instigate the puzzle. I couldn't hear what they said from my position on the balcony, but I pretty much knew what would happen.

The rest of the party went and collapsed somewhere on the balcony, exhausted from the battle with the Skull Kid. I went to the ruined, center staircase and sat, observing Junior as his tired brain tried to figure out the puzzle. The puzzle was complicated, especially since the statues were facing opposite directions. It was sad, really. In the space of five minutes, he had to restart the puzzle three times. Each time, he got trapped by a statue. By the third time, I was getting aggravated. Why couldn't he see the correct path when I could!

Anghenfil wearily dropped down beside me. "How's he doing?"

"Horrible," I spat. "Pathetic, really."

"Junior!" Anghenfil yelled. The wolf pup looked up, snarling slightly. "Start over again!"

Reluctantly, Junior got himself trapped again so the puzzle would reset. Anghenfil looked at me expectantly.

"Okay, go…right!" I shouted, mentally trying to figure it out. So, for the next fifteen minutes, I calculated and shouted directions. I must have glared at Anghenfil at least twenty times. Finally, however, Junior managed to get them lined up on their platforms. The statues turned to face him, their magical life lines glowing blue with power, and they told Junior something before opening the stone door that led to the Master Sword; the blocks of ground returned to plain old ground. Junior was restored to a human again, and he entered the sacred chamber alone.

We only had to wait for about five minutes before Junior came out again, smiling. He lifted the Master Sword high so we could see it, then waved it wildly to make sure we did see it.

"So, what now?" Epona asked, joining us.

"Now, we rest," I breathed, relaxing on the staircase. "Tomorrow, we'll head for the Underworld."


	10. Chapter 10: Damnation

"Thank you for nothing, you useless reptile." — Hiccup, _How to Train Your Dragon_

You wouldn't believe how much snow there is at my place! It's ridiculous for almost being March!

* * *

Chapter 10

Damnation

No one kept watch that night, mostly because we were all asleep within fifteen minutes after Junior had emerged with the Master Sword. I fell asleep last, making sure Junior didn't wander off anywhere and do anything stupid, especially since he had a new sword. Unfortunately, the sleep I got that night wasn't enough to restore my energy. When I woke, the sun was already above the tree line, and no one else was awake. Sighing, I pulled a chunk of bread out and started nibbling.

Louise awoke next, stretching like a cat. Which she was, of course, but her lithe movements were abnormal. Soon after, Anghenfil and Epona woke up. Junior slept contently near me, showing no sign of waking any time soon. None of the adults were very happy.

"So, now what?" Epona asked grumpily.

"Well," I started, yawning. "I take it no one really wants to travel all the way to the Underworld?" I was answered with groans and protests. Raising my hands for peace, I began again. "If that's how you all feel, I can warp us all there."

"Where exactly is the Underworld?" Anghenfil interrogated.

"You'll see," I said mischievously.

"You keep zaying zat," Louise protested. "Juzt tell uz, pleaze!"

"Okay," I agreed, then summoned my power. With a mental gesture, we dissolved into particles that were then warped to our destination…

* * *

"Snowpeak?" Auru raised his brow. "The Underworld is in Snowpeak?"

"Yeah, I know," Link took a long drink from his flask. They had been traveling for a few hours, keeping up a light jog, and had arrived at the base of the waterfall that led to Zora's Domain, near the tunnel entrance to Snowpeak.

"All this time, and I never knew that such a marvel existed!" Ashei exclaimed, referring to her obsession with Snowpeak.

"Well, dear, there are a lot of things Link knows that we don't," Shad said bitterly. "Like how you knew that you could travel to the City in the Sky and didn't even tell _me!_ It's only been my life's work!"

Link grimaced. During their trip, Link was forced in to telling his comrades the story of what had happened all those years ago. When Shad had found out that Link had visited the City in the Sky, the city of the Ooccas, Shad's obsession, and hadn't told him, he had become furious. (And Link knew that having a scholar as your enemy was a _bad_ idea.)

"Look, I'm sorry. Hey, after this, I promise I'll take you there," Link swore, screwing the lid back on the flask. This seemed to cheer him up immensely.

"So, where is it in Snowpeak?" Rusl asked. "Because I really don't want to search the entire province."

Link sighed. "I know this sounds horrible, but I'll know—"

* * *

"—when did we get here?" Junior asked groggily.

"Oh, less than an hour ago," I said, handing him a blanket to keep the blistering cold out.

"But I thought we weren't traveling until morning," he blurted.

"Well," Louise said, shaking violently despite having three blankets wrapped around her thin shoulders. "We…all woke…up earrrly in…ze night, zo…we dezided to…juzt get it overrr wiz."

I glanced at her, concerned, but she averted my gaze. "I guess we should get going then," I said, straightening.

"Where to now?" Epona asked, rising from the snow-covered ground where she had been sitting with Anghenfil.

I smiled. "Since you three don't have weapons, I thought we should stop by at an old friend's place first. Plus, they'll help us get to the Underworld."

"'Old friend'?" Anghenfil inquired. "Oh Goddesses, who is it this time?"

"Just Yeto and Yeta," I responded.

"Wait, aren't those the huge monsters that my father had to fight?" Junior asked fearfully.

I cast a dark look in his direction. "Yeto and Yeta are _not_ monsters, they're yetis. And he did not fight them, he fought the possessed Yeta." Junior cowered, and I realized I had summoned a bit of power. "Let's go."

I shouldered one of the packs and started walking toward the icy tree on the hill, not looking back to see if my party was following. However, I could hear their footsteps as they crunched through the snow. I was already out of breath when I reached the tree; I steadied myself of the trunk, and looked toward the path that led to the Snowpeak Ruins, a crumbling mansion that served as the home for the yetis. And, trudging through the snow towards me, were the yetis.

Yeto was the male, a gigantic, white monster with fangs and a large, wide, almost quilted tail. Yeta, his mate, was a slight figure, roundish in the middle, but, besides her fur and supposed lack of arms, could have passed as a human. Despite their strange appearance, they were actually quite nice and sweet. They had offered their assistance all those years ago, when Link and I had been searching for the shards of the Mirror of Twilight.

My party plodded up behind me, Junior breathing hard from trekking through the feet upon feet of snow. We waited in silence as the yetis approached us, each wandering in the dark corners of our minds. I was thinking of what Link and Alfonzo were doing now, but, though I should have felt some sort of sadness or overwhelming sense of longing, I only felt a slight tinge of regret. I knew Junior was wondering nervously if the monsters would attack us because of the look of fear in his eyes. Louise was still violently shivering, and her teeth were chattering.

Yeto saw us first, and let out a cry of delighted surprise, jogging heavily toward us. His large feet allowed him to easily run on top of the snow. It was kind of frightening to see a large, furry, white beast running toward us, but for some demented reason it made me smile. Junior cringed and tried to hide behind me for protection, but I dragged him out in front of me and clasped his shoulder reassuringly.

"Friends!" Yeto cried, reaching the hill. "Wolf-rider!" He grabbed me and hugged me aggressively.

"How—did you know—it was me?" I asked, gasping for breath.

"Yeto smell you! What wolf-rider and little hero doing here?" he asked, putting me down and hugging Junior, who had tried to run away.

"Another quest," I explained, dusting off the white hairs clinging to my blanket.

Yeta waddled up behind her husband. "Greetings, wolf-rider. What about quest, uh?"

"We're looking for the Underworld," I said. "Perhaps you've heard about it?"

Yeta paused, her fur going limp, perhaps the yeti equivalent of paling. "Friends look tired, uh. You will stay night at home."

"Zankz, but we arrre in a hurrry—"

"_You will stay at home!_" Yeta interrupted Louise, her eyes turning red and her mouth sprouting fangs.

I covered Louise's mouth with my hand and said, fearing Yeta would turn into Blizzeta, her possessed form, "We will gladly spend the night. We are in _no_ hurry at all."

"Ah, good!" Yeto exclaimed, clapping his hands as his mate returned to her normal form. "Friends will come with us to home!"

Yeto slammed the tree with his fist, and the remaining leaves fell out of the tree: three ice-coated leaves that were used to sled down to the ruins of the mansion.

"I am _not_ doing that again!" Anghenfil vehemently protested. "Not after the cucco episode!"

I looked at Louise and Epona, but they both shook their heads. "Fine, you three will go with Yeta," I instructed. "Junior, hop on."

Yeto jumped on his leaf with one foot and started pushing himself toward the first ramp at the bottom of the hill. "What?" Junior exclaimed.

"Just follow me!" I said, stepping onto my leaf and pushing off with one foot, gaining speed with each push. Junior followed behind, being cautious.

I sped down the hill and flew off the ramp, passing Yeto as I crouched to gain speed. It felt exhilarating and childish at the same time to go sledding like this, but, at the moment, I didn't care. The speed and adrenaline made me feel like I was leaving all my problems behind. I tilted around the corners, narrowly avoiding the hard, rock ledges. The broken bridge came into view next; I skipped across it, still gaining speed. Then I aimed myself for the next ramp, and flew into the air, landing on the tops of the pine trees in the little valley below. Jumping from tree to tree, I finally descended, using my power to lessen the impact. On the ground, I jumped onto a side burn of snow and glided over the path on the side trail. I jumped over the gaps between rock islands, and finally found myself back on the path. Around one last, sharp corner and I had reached the entrance to the mansion. Jumping nimbly off my leaf, I landed on the stone pathway before thee leaf shattered into icy bits. Moments later, Junior skidded up behind me, his face red from the wind. Not prepared, his leaf shattered from under him, causing him to stumble, but I caught him in time. Finally, Yeto rumbled into view.

"Ha ha! You win!" he said heartily, clapping us both on the shoulder. "Come, come! We wait for wife and friends inside!"

The large yeti tramped up the stairs to the grand double doors of the decaying mansion. Junior and I followed behind. The darkness of the mansion was eerie, even for me. It almost seemed colder in here than outside, perhaps because of the emptiness. The mansion was almost as grand as the castle, with cold suits of armor lining the corridors and dim or unlit torches along the walls. Frayed carpets attempted to warm the floor in vain, and massive, tarnished chandeliers hung from the grand foyer. Yeto led us to a side room, a smaller room with a hearty, warm fire that somehow managed to make the room hospitable and homey. Plush chairs surrounded the hearth, and side doors surrounded the room.

"Sit, sit!" Yeto commanded us, and then headed for his kitchen.

With no reservations, I chose a chair at random (not Yeta's chair, though) and sat, my legs tucked securely under me. Junior, however, still wasn't certain about the yetis. He stood shyly at the door back to the foyer, ready to bolt at the first sign that the yetis would turn hostile. I grinned in amusement.

"Junior, take a chair," I instructed sweetly. "It's okay."

Hesitantly, Junior sat in a fluffy chair nearer the door. A minute later, Yeto burst through the door with a tray of mix-matched bowls filled with steaming soup.

"Here you go!" Yeto presented me with the tray.

I took a bowl, thanked him and smelled the hot soup. Reekfish (that odor was hard to miss), cheese, pumpkin, onion, cream, and… garlic, with something that smelled vaguely like water chestnuts. His soup had changed since I had last been here with Link.

"Soup good for little hero! Yeto made it himself!" the yeti exclaimed, giving a bowl to the suspicious Junior.

"Junior, drink the soup," I commanded a little harshly. "It wouldn't do to insult our host."

Grumbling, Junior snatched the bowl and sipped hesitantly. I smiled again and sipped the soup as well. Besides the strong smell, it tasted pretty good. Junior seemed to like it, too, because he continued drinking the soup. Satisfied, Yeto returned to the kitchen.

A few minutes later, the double doors in the foyer opened with a loud creak. Junior bolted up, almost spilling what was left of his soup. Yeta waddled through the door, followed by Anghenfil, Epona, and the shaking Louise.

"A firrre!" Louise exclaimed thankfully. She bounded over to me, touched the Beast Stone and, as a cat, curled up in front of the fire and started purring.

"Husband, we here, uh!" Yeta called out.

"Ah ha! Sit, sit!" Yeto burst out of the kitchen again and embraced his mate. "Yeto fetch more soup for friends!"

Yeta sat with a sigh in her large, oversized chair. Anghenfil and Epona followed suit, Epona sitting near Junior and Anghenfil sitting near Epona. Yeto appeared again with more soup and offered it to the two horses, both of whom accepted gratefully.

"Want soup, delicious-looking kitty?" Yeto offered to the purring Louise. She cracked open one emerald eye and said, very bluntly, _"No."_

Yeto raised an eyebrow, clearly not hearing her. "She said, 'No thank you'," I told him.

"Well then, no soup for you!" Yeto said, offended, but Louise just closed her eyes again contentedly.

We lounged comfortably for a while, enjoying the warmth of the fire. Yeto joined us a few hours later with his own bowl of soup. Eventually, we grew tired again. Louise was fast asleep by the time our hosts noticed we were about to nod off.

"Come, come, I show you rooms. But, we have few guests, so rooms not good, uh," Yeta said, wriggling out of her chair and leading us to a door.

We all arose with grumbles of protest, but we were all pretty tired. Epona was leaning on Anghenfil sleepily, and Junior seemed to be making a conscious effort to stay awake. I myself was close to losing consciousness. Louise stayed by the fire as we were led by Yeta to a colder part of the mansion. The roof was collapsed or sagging in places on our route. I only hoped that wasn't the case with our rooms.

We stopped at the door to a room. "You two," Yeta gestured to Epona and I with her head, "sleep here, uh."

I opened the door cautiously. Luckily, the roof here was intact. The room had one large, almost six-person bed as its sole furniture. However, there was a fireplace, though it was empty.

"Oh, thank heavens!" I exclaimed and lit a fire with my powers out of the ash.

"I didn't know you could do that," Epona commented sleepily.

"Neither did I," I admitted, then dumped my pack and collapsed in the bed.

Epona followed, but she sneaked under the covers first. I managed to somehow get under the blankets, and then I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I fell into a dreamless sleep, but was awakened later by a creaking noise. I bolted up, only to find Louise sneaking into our room.

"_It'z zo warrrm in herrre,"_ she said, jumping up on the bed and curling up on my feet.

I fell asleep again, my feet now warm because of Louise. It wouldn't be the last time I awoke that night.

Later, probably in the middle of the night, the door creaked open again. I sat up slower this time and saw Junior creeping in.

"It's cold in our room," he complained.

"Fine!" I plopped back down as Junior climbed in the covers between Epona and I.

Then, again about a half hour later, Anghenfil creaked the door open.

"What?" I snapped.

"I—I was worried about Junior," he tried explaining.

"Oh, just get in!" I laid back down with a thump.

Feeling awkward, Anghenfil climbed in the covers at the foot of the bed. Epona unconsciously pulled up her feet to give him room, as did I. Louise, of course, moved with me, rumbling as she purred. Luckily, he fit lengthwise on the bed. Finally, I was allowed to sleep.

* * *

At long last, after hours of trekking through the deep snow, Link and his party had made it to the yetis' cavern passage.

First, as they were climbing down the cliff at the end of the tunnel leading to Snowpeak with a rope, Auru slipped and got rope burn. Then, Shad slipped as they were crossing the ice floes and fell into the deathly cold water. Luckily, Ashei had managed to grab his belt as he fell in, and they had managed to pull him out before he had died. However, he had gotten hypothermia, so they had to stop there and kindle a fire before he died, which somehow they managed. After about an hour of constant worry, Shad had gotten warmer, so they had started moving again, but slower to accommodate. After that, they had spent almost three hours battling a constant stream of white wolfos while trudging through almost impassable snowdrifts. As if nature itself didn't want Link to get to the Underworld, they ended up in a white out halfway up the mountain pass. Finally, they managed to reach the caverns, where they unanimously decided to spend the night.

"I'm going to sleep. Good night, honey," Ashei kissed a still-blue Shad gingerly, then rolled out her bedroll and fell asleep.

Link raised an eyebrow at this unexpected display of affection, but Shad just looked away and blushed.

"So, how long have you two…?" Link asked hesitantly from across their fire.

"Well, I got her to kiss me about… seven and a half years ago," he responded shyly. "Then, I got her to move in with me almost four years ago."

"But, you aren't married?" Link wondered.

"He hasn't worked up the nerve to ask her," Auru interjected. "I think I'm going to turn in, too. Have a night."

He rolled out his bedroll as well and laid down. Link gave Shad a meaningful glance, then Auru started snoring softly.

"So, really, were you going to ask her to marry you?" Link asked curiously.

"I was going to, but…" Shad sighed. "I'm waiting for the right time."

Link looked at the crackling fire. "Look, I know I'm no expert on love, but I do know this: I've spent a decade regretting _not_ asking… a girl… to stay with me. And as soon as I find her, I'm going to ask her to marry me."

"Is that why we're going on this quest?" Shad inquired. "To find a girl?"

"She's not just a girl," Link said darkly. "She was _the_ _one_."

"Who was she?"

Link sighed. "I never told you all the full story of that quest ten years ago. It all started when an imp named Midna found me as a wolf in Hyrule Castle, which had been cursed by Twilight. Well, it turned out she had been the princess of Twilight but had been cursed, too. To defeat her usurper and get back to her kingdom, she enlisted my help. I, however, only wanted to save Ilia, but instead ended up saving both Hyrule and Twilight, and returning Midna to her realm. The thing was, she was actually quite beautiful, and I… sort of fell in love with her. But, I didn't realize it at the time. Only after she left."

"Wait, but if she left, how did she get back?" Shad wondered.

Link looked up. "I don't know. And, she had shattered the only connection between our worlds…"

They sat in silence for a few minutes, pondering this.

"Do you think someone could have repaired the connection?" Shad speculated.

"No, because she was the only one that could shatter it, I think it would have been impossible for anyone to repair it. Plus, only three people know about it, besides the Sages," Link refuted.

"Then, how did she get here?"

* * *

Again, I was the first to wake in the morning. Anghenfil had been stripped of blankets, and lay sprawled over the foot of the monstrous bed. Epona lay in a similar fashion, with one arm draping over the side of the bed. Junior was curled in a ball with Louise laying on top of him. _So that's why my feet were cold this morning_, I thought. The fire had also gone out, but the mass of bodies in the bed had kept everyone warm. Somehow, I managed to worm my way out of bed without disturbing anyone.

I used my power to open the door silently, knowing well that it creaked loud enough to awaken everyone. Then, my stomach led me to the kitchen. Strangely, I felt refreshed, despite all the intruders last night. As I sneaked into Yeto's kitchen, I had the feeling I was the only one awake in the mansion. Not that I minded, of course. I searched the cupboards for something not rotted and unspoiled enough to eat. Finally, I found a block of cheese that appeared not to have too much mold growing on it. I scraped off the moldy parts, began eating, and proceeded to search the mansion for supplies.

It was fortunate that I had my dual blades on me, because enemies were everywhere. The first bedroom I entered housed a variety of ice creatures that decided to attack me on sight. After defeating them, I searched the room for anything useful, only to find a few moth-eaten blankets. I left them there. Even the hallways were infested with creatures. So, I passed the morning exploring. Actually, it was quite fun, besides the collection of cuts and bruises I received.

In the end, I returned to the hearth room with several armfuls of goods, including eight blankets, six coats, two empty but dusty glass jars, several small pillows that were miraculously lice- and moth-free, and an entire armload of possible weapons for Anghenfil and Epona. Content, I kindled a fire in the cold hearth and settled down in a chair to wait. A little while later, the yetis entered.

"Good morning," I greeted them.

"Morning, wolf-rider!" Yeto responded. "What are piles for?"

"I was actually wondering if we could perhaps borrow some of those things," I explained.

"Friends can take whatever they need!" Yeto generously offered.

"Thank you."

"Now, husband make breakfast, uh," Yeta said, waddling to her chair.

"Yes, Yeto make breakfast for friends!" he exclaimed, and headed into his kitchen.

I was quite contentedly eating a Reekfish fillet with caviar and toast for breakfast before my friends decided to join us. I wasn't exactly sure where the yetis had managed to get the bread from, or how Yeto had toasted it, but I wasn't about to complain about an excellent meal. All four of my companions lumbered in, stretching sleepily. Yeto reappeared moments later with more food, which they all gladly received. Louise jumped up on my lamp, touched the Beast Stone, and hurried to get her plate. _What is it with cats and fish?_ I wondered absently.

"So, what is all this?" Anghenfil asked between bites, gesturing to the supplies scattered on the floor.

"Oh, yeah," I stood up, setting aside my empty plate. "That is some supplies I gathered from the mansion. I found you two a nice selection of weapons, if you want them."

Epona approached the pile first, to my surprise. Bending down, she searched the pile and pulled out a gladius with a sheath, a double-bladed short sword used for slashing and stabbing. Anghenfil came up behind her, selected a fine steel broadsword, and strapped it to his back.

"These are great," Epona spoke for both of them. Anghenfil nodded in agreement.

"Glad you like them," I smiled. "Oh, and feel free to pick out a coat and some pillows. I'll be right back."

I grabbed the two jars and headed to the kitchen. "Yeto, do you think I could wash these?"

"Melted water right there!" he pointed to a large, wooden bucket in the corner of the kitchen, then turned back to his cooking.

Indeed, the bucket was filled with water. Fearful of dirtying the water, I searched the kitchen for a spoon, and, finding one, used it to put water in the jars. Then, I found a towel to clean the jars with. I polished the jars until there wasn't a particle of dust left.

"Can I fill these with soup, Yeto?" I asked sweetly.

"Of course!" he said, pounding over to his massive cauldron of soup. With a large ladle, he spooned the hearty soup into the bottles. "There you go!"

"Thank you," I thanked him as I headed back out to the hearth room.

"Are we ready?" Anghenfil asked, standing.

"Yeah," I responded, picking up my pack.

"You go to Place of Death now?" Yeta asked, her voice high with panic. "Why not stay longer, uh?"

"Thank you for the offer, Yeta, but we must get to the Underworld," I told her.

"Friends must not go to Place of Death!" Yeto boomed from behind me. "Dead cannot be killed!"

My party exchanged glances, then looked at me expectantly. "What?" I asked.

"Is it true?" Junior wondered.

I paused, thinking. Then, the answer came to me out of the depths of my mind. "No, I know a way to kill them."

"And that would be what?" Epona asked skeptically.

"This," I took out the red velvet pouch the Goddess had given me in the darkness. "I was told it brings life to the dead. If that's true, we can kill them again."

"What is it?" Junior asked curiously, leaning forward from his chair.

"I have no clue," I said honestly. "Yeto, Yeta, can you take us to the entrance to the Underworld?"

The yetis exchanged glances, but Yeta sighed and said, "We take friends to Place of Death, uh."

My party gathered all the things we needed and followed the yetis outside. Louise grabbed a coat and slipped it on as we stepped into the arctic chill. The yetis led us to a hidden, almost invisible side path off the mansion that led down the side of the manor that bordered a deep chasm. A staircase carved into the sheer rock of the cliff face led down the side of the chasm. The yetis proceeded down with balance and grace born of a lifetime in the mountains, despite the staircase being small and narrow. My party and I were more cautious, since if we slipped, we would go tumbling into the deep chasm below. The staircase seemed to go on forever, always downward. At last, we reached the chasm floor. The yetis stopped in front of us, their backs facing us. I took the opportunity to look around. The ground was pure sheets of rock with a coating of ice. No snow had fallen here. Rocks projected at strange angles and shapes out of the ground. A portion of the wall of the cliff was engraved with strange, glowing, red symbols that did not appear to belong to any race I knew of. The yetis turned around to face us.

"Now, we leave friends, uh," Yeta said.

"Thank you," I responded.

The yetis walked around us, heading back up to the mansion. In front of us was a rock arch with a glowing blue portal inside, like a doorway to another world. The same red symbols were etched in the rock of the arch. Junior approached it in a trance as everyone else just starred at it. He vanished with a whoosh as he stepped inside the portal. That awakened us, and we stepped into the Underworld.

Blackness followed for a few brief seconds before we stepped out onto an ice floor. We were in a rock cavern, with a ceiling that was higher than the Temple of Time in the Sacred Grove. Huge icicles resembling stalactites hung from the ceiling like a deadly chandelier, and ice stalagmites rose from the floor to meet them. A thin rock ledge surrounded the pool of ice we were standing on. It seemed like the pool was solid ice, all the way down to the ground, however far down that was. The only exit from the cavern seemed to be a river of ice that led out from the pool, almost as if we were standing at the mouth. The portal shone behind us, still open to my surprise. I figured it didn't allow the spirits out. That brought up another thing: I couldn't see any spirits. This was the Underworld, so shouldn't it be overflowing with the dead? The only thing unnatural in the pool cavern was an old ferryboat imbedded in the ice, covered in cobwebs from decades of disuse, with a skeleton ferryman at the stern, pole still in hand, with rags draping over its bones.

"Ziz iz ze Underrrworrrld?" Louise complained. "Zo dizappointing."

Ignoring her comment, I began walking toward down the river of ice. My party followed, unsure of what kind of danger we were in. The cavern narrowed to a tunnel over the river, winding as it wound. I followed the river's twists and turns for a few minutes until it came to a fork. I sat down, contemplating which way to take. One fork, the left, had a slightly red tinge of light to it, while the right had a whitish glow. Both made sharp turns in opposite directions about fifty meters in, preventing me from seeing where the tunnels went. Truthfully, I had no idea what I was doing. My party approached from behind. Junior, always curious, sat down beside me and imitated my pose, trying to understand what I was doing.

"So, which way do we take?" Anghenfil asked from my right.

"I don't know," I truthfully told him. Though, I was kind of leaning toward the left…

A garbled noise came from the right passage. I stood, whipping out my blades. Silence followed, but my party was still tense. Then, a monstrous being flew out from around the corner. Skinny and malnourished, it had four arms, a tail with spikes, and one, human eye. Its face still resembled what it had been in life, but now it had the look of insanity and rage. Each hand carried a large rock, ready to crush in our heads. We had met our first spirit.

I quickly pulled out the pouch, hoping for some kind of weapon, but when I pulled it open, all it gave me was light. Anghenfil and Epona unsheathed their weapons and started attacking the spirit, but each blow slid through it, like it was made of air. Junior stood still in shock, unable to attack from fear. Luckily, Louise hovered near him, ready to protect him. _Light? _I was confused. _What could light…_

Then it came to me. "Junior!" I called out. "Stab it with the Master Sword!"

Junior looked at me with paralyzing terror. I realized he couldn't move. So, it was up to me. I just hoped my blades lived up to their name. Leaping into the battle, I managed to land a blow in the spirit's back. The spirit dropped its rocks and opened its mouth, releasing a horrible wail that echoed through the tunnel complex. Then, Anghenfil stabbed it through the chest. Blood seeped out, and the creature dissolved in a spray of fine dust.

"How did you kill it?" Anghenfil asked me.

"Light," I responded simply.

"That was a spirit?" Epona gasped.

"Yes, it was," a new voice said. "Welcome to damnation."

I turned toward the figure and gasped. "_Colin?_"


	11. Chapter 11: Revelations

Sorry about the short chapter. So, I was listening to Adele's _Someone Like You_, and I realized that was the perfect song for Chapter 5, when Midna visits Link. Just thinking…

My heart goes out to those people who were living in Japan and those who know people in Japan. I feel so horrible! We're thinking about you here in America!

Oh, off topic, does anyone want a little short alternate death scene? It's not much different, but, if you want it, just tell me…

* * *

Chapter 11

Revelations

_Link was calmly weeding his petunias in the garden outside his house while Ilia was inside with his five-year-old son, Junior. Though it had been six years since Link had last had to use his sword, he still kept it strapped on his back, and his senses were always on alert. Rusl said that soldiers returning home from a particularly bloody war often were slightly crazed, always ready for battle years after they had returned, and that it would, hopefully, pass with time._

_All of a sudden, a rustle in the grass behind Link alerted him to someone's presence. Without a moment's hesitation, Link pulled his sword from his sheath and, with a battle cry, executed a perfect spin attack to slash the intruder in the chest. Link finished the circle and faced the intruder as Colin, the village boy who had always looked up to Link, dropped the basket he had been carrying on the ground and clutched the gushing, deep wound on his chest. Too late, Link realized he had just mortally wounded his best friend. Link caught the teenager as he fell to the ground and held him. Unbidden, tears came to Link's eyes._

"_I just…came…to bring you…some muffins…" Colin managed to gasp._

"_Shh, don't talk," Link whispered, cradling his head._

_Colin looked up at Link and let out one last breath. His head rolled back limply as the life fled his body. Link closed Colin's glassy eyes and stood, lifting the body. He carried it, head bowed in shame, into Ordon Village, to his parents' house. The children playing in the road saw his procession and fled back toward their homes to tell their parents. By the time Link had reached Rusl's house, the family was waiting outside, hoping fervently that Colin wasn't truly dead. Rusl stood with his arm around his wife, Uli, and a hand on Beth's shoulder. Uli gripped her daughter, but when she saw her son's body, she began shaking and sobbing. As soon as Beth, Colin's fiancée, saw his corpse, she dropped on her knees and let out a horrible wail. Even Rusl began crying with loss. They parted, allowing Link to bring the body in the house. Their daughter, a strong little girl, cleared their wooden table so Link could lay down Colin's body._

_As the family surrounded the body to mourn, Link sat down in a chair in the corner and began crying. He felt so ashamed and guilty. What had he done? He felt like a monster: a villain worse than Ganondorf had ever been. He wept in silence, too ashamed to join Colin's family in mourning. However, he didn't see Rusl glancing at Link and noticing his wet hands over his face. All he could do was keep crying, and crying…_

Link awoke and bolted up to a sitting position in the night, sweating despite the chill. The memory of that day still haunted him, as, so he thought, it should. That was the day he had taken a vow never to use a sword again, but now, he was breaking that vow. He felt horrible, mentally and physically. He wiped the sweat off his brow and realized he was shaking.

"Something wrong, son?" Auru asked quietly from his bedroll.

"Just… a bad dream," Link lay down again.

"I know the war craze when I see it," Auru refuted. "I'm surprised that after all these years you haven't recovered yet."

"Huh," Link mumbled, closing his eyes.

"We should get going," Auru continued, standing and rolling up his bedroll.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because, the gate to the Underworld has been used," the old man said, assuredly.

Link jumped up. "What? How do you know?"

"As an old man, I have seen and experienced many things in my life that you haven't," he explained. "Since childhood, I was trained to sense the use of portals. Why do you think I had such a fascination with the Gerudo Desert?"

Astounded, Link gently kicked Shad to wake him.

"Wha?" the scholar responded sleepily.

"Get up, we're leaving," he said absently. They were so close to catching up with Midna!

"What is this about leaving, yeah?" Ashei sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"Time to find the Underworld," Link responded, strapping on his sword. "Let's get going."

* * *

"So, Link really killed you?" I asked, aghast.

Colin's spirit nodded. "But I don't blame him; I shouldn't have snuck up behind him like a common burglar."

"Okay, now that that's taken care of," Anghenfil interjected impatiently, "how do you kill these spirits?"

"When I opened the pouch," I began, "A light shone out of it. That's when I realized that light can bring life to the dead. My swords were made with the light of the Sols, the equivalent of the sun in your world. And, when Link came to Twilight, he imbued the Master Sword with the light of the Sols. Once I stabbed my sword in the spirit, the light in the sword made the spirit come alive again, allowing you to kill it."

"But that doesn't make any sense," Epona said. "Isn't there light here, in the Underworld?"

"There's no sun here," Colin responded. "Just the harsh glow from the ground and the ice."

"So, where are all the other dead?" Epona asked. "It seems so empty."

"It is," Colin said sadly. "The Underworld had become too crowded long ago. The Goddesses realized this, so they took all of the spirits who had been content in life and allowed them to ascend to their realm, where their spirits were returned to Hyrule refreshed and clean. But, all of the spirits who were evil or had not finished their goals in life could not ascend, and so were forced to stay in this hell."

"So what happens when we kill the dead?" I asked curiously. "Are they returned here?"

"I don't know," he answered. "You all are the first to come to the Underworld in a long time, and the first to be able to kill the dead. Perhaps, when you kill them, their spirit is destroyed. Or perhaps they are allowed to ascend to the Goddesses' Realm. Maybe they just are resurrected here again. Who knows? I certainly don't."

We sat in silence for a time. Colin looked different from when he was a child. He still had his large eyes, but their bright blue had faded. His hair was longer and tied neatly back in a short rouge knot. Overall, he looked just like a human male, except for the fact that there were bloodstains on his tunic and he was slightly gray and a bit translucent. He almost appeared as if he were made of a thick mist.

"So, why exactly are you all here?" he asked.

"We are looking for the Sage that Ganondorf killed all those years ago," I told him honestly. Quickly, I made sure that Louise was distracting Junior, then I continued, "The only way to get back to Twilight is to reconstruct the Mirror, and the only way I can do that is with all the Sages."

"Wait," Colin processed all the information. "You're Midna? The Twilight Princess?"

I nodded, and Colin's eyes flickered brightly for a second, then they dimmed again. "So why are you stuck here?" I asked.

Colin sighed. "I think I want to tell Link that I forgive him. And, I need to know that Beth is okay."

"Beth…" I thought, closing my eyes as I searched my memory.

"Beth, the tall little girl from Ordon village that used to put her hair in pigtails…" Epona began.

"She always had the prettiest chestnut hair," Colin remembered. "It was gorgeous. I used to just run my fingers through her hair by the river…"

I remembered her, but I didn't say anything. He looked so happy when he thought about her. He looked…almost tangible. His skin lost its gray pallor, and he actually started smiling.

Unfortunately, Anghenfil wasn't so sensitive. "So, do you know where this Sage is?"

Colin was drawn out of his reverie, and his skin faded back to its translucent gray. "Well, not exactly, but if he is as important as you make him out to be…"

"What?" Anghenfil leaned forward slightly.

"Then he's probably in the Palace," Colin concluded.

"The what?" I asked bluntly.

"It was built long before most of the spirits arrived here," he explained. "Or maybe it was natural. Anyway, it's where some of the more influential and powerful dead live. I mean, reside. He probably managed to get inside."

I looked at Anghenfil and Epona. Anghenfil shrugged. "It's worth a shot."

"Can you take us there?" I asked.

"Of course."

"Louise," I called, trying to get her attention so we could leave.

She looked up, a shaking Junior on her knee. She looked pointedly down at him, then back at me with a pained expression on her face that clearly said, help me… I sighed but walked over and kneeled next to Junior. I took him and held him against me, talking softly to him, telling him that it was all right. First, he started to sob violently, and then he finally calmed down. I held him at arm's length and looked him in the eyes to make sure he was okay.

"I'm better now," he said quietly.

"Okay," I smiled. "We'll leave whenever you're ready."

I could feel my party's eyes upon me as I handled Junior. It was awkward, and strange, and I had absolutely no idea why I was did the things I was, but apparently they worked. Junior had calmed down, right?

"Let's go," Junior said resolutely, steeling himself.

I patted him on the back for courage, and he strode toward Colin. The spirit began walking toward the left, reddish tunnel. Actually, it was more of a glide than anything else. I could tell my party was uneasy, especially since this tunnel seemed more foreboding. I followed closely behind Junior, all senses alert. Louise sulked in the back of the group, wanting solitude. Colin led us through the tunnel of ice, not looking back to see if we were following. Perhaps he knew we were because of our echoing footsteps. Glowing sparks started to appear, swirling in the air as if a great bonfire was taking place nearby. Fortunately, the ice was still firm, despite the heat starting to build.

At last, after what seemed like hours, we rounded the last corner and came to one of the most spectacular sights I have ever seen. The ice river abruptly ended, hanging over the edge of the tunnel like a broken bridge. The sky above was filled with gray and red clouds, swirling in the windless sky, occasionally allowing a glimpse at the black and starless sky above. Dark anonymous shapes soared overhead, even larger than Kargaroks. A lone mountain far in the distance broke through the clouds and continued up, touching the heavens. The land was dry, with a broken reddish landscape of small mountains and deep crevices. A river of lava churned in the middle, its strong current sweeping anything caught in it down stream. Little pools of water dotted the landscape, and the smell of sulfur dominated in the air. Unusual rock projections arose from the ground, menacing and strangely beautiful. Barren trees also grew from the ground, seemingly lifeless. There were plants, a type of grass mostly, but it was all dry. There were even artificial constructs. Black arches rose periodically over what appeared to be trails. Tall towers poked out of the landscape at odd angles, with an eerie yellow-green light pouring out of the windows. In the far distance, almost beyond my sight, black clouds swirled over a fortress on a high hill.

"The Palace," Colin said, noticing my line of sight. "There's a trail down the cliff, but it's dangerous. Watch your step. And, by the way, the journey to the Palace will get more dangerous the closer you get."

With that, Colin moved to the right and began to descend. We followed to the edge and saw a flight of narrow steps leading precipitously to the red earth below. I wet first, going agonizingly slow to make sure I didn't slip. Colin, being dead, went incredibly fast, disappearing out of sight within the first few minutes. The climb down took forever; especially since some of the steps required climbing down to reach. After about an hour, I reached the bottom without incident. I found that very fortunate, as usually someone in my party slipped. I started helping the others down the last few steps, even though it probably wasn't necessary. Colin waited patiently for us to arrive, then he started moving again. We wearily followed, already tired.

We encountered our first enemy in a gulley. The walls of the gulley were almost as high as five men standing on each other's shoulders, and were dotted with holes and tiny caves. Anghenfil saw the spirit first, and let out a cry of alarm. The creature was the size of a child, with the angelic face of a child, but it had multiple, arm-like appendages like a spider. Each arm had two fingers, tipped with thick claws. The child's face smiled with cruel pleasure as it repeated sweetly, "_More, more, give me more sweets_!" It pulled itself out of a cave where it had been hiding, and sprang on us almost without warning. I jumped forward and thrust my swords in its abdomen, and Anghenfil stabbed it again in its chest. Its face contorted, silently screaming before it disintegrated into fine, gray dust.

"I think we need to rest," I told Colin, who waited patiently at the front of the party.

"Right," he said. "Preferably near a water source?"

I nodded, and he continued up the gulley. A few minutes later, Colin stopped near a stagnant pool of clear water. An arch stood a little ways away, the trail leading up a hill. Rocks formed a tall wall near the pool, with vines hanging down from them. It was a good place to sleep and recover, but I had a feeling about the rock wall that I couldn't quite place.

"Is the water safe to drink?" Epona asked, always practical. Colin nodded.

We settled down to sleep, rolling out our blankets and building a fire. At some point, Colin disappeared, but I wasn't too worried about it. After we ate a simple meal of bread and dried fruit, Anghenfil approached me. Epona followed closely behind.

"Look, we can't keep relying on just you to…bring life to the dead, or whatever it was," Anghenfil started.

"So, you want me to infuse your swords with light?" I clarified. The two exchanged glances, then nodded in assent. "Fine, but I've only done this once and it takes a lot out of me," I explained.

I focused, drawing all the light from around me and concentrating it into one spot. My magic bonded with the new Sol, and soon the Sol was complete. I collapsed on my blanket from exhaustion; I had used almost all my magic. The first time I had created a Sol had been when I was a child. It had been part of my education, but it had left me in bed for three days. Now, I was stronger, but I still felt like I was on the verge of consciousness. Anghenfil and Epona held the shining Sol with awe, staring at it. Even Louise and Junior were staring, enraptured.

"When you're ready," I gasped, "stick your swords in it." Then, I'm ashamed to say, I passed out.

* * *

Link looked at the three sparkling stones that Rusl had just told them would kill the dead. There was an emerald, a ruby, and a sapphire, all decorated with gold. For some reason, Link remembered seeing them before, when he was very little. When his dad was alive.

"Where did you get those?" Link asked Rusl.

Rusl grimaced uncomfortably. "Could you all give us a moment?" he asked Auru, Ashei, and Shad. They backed off. "Your father gave them to me before he died," Rusl explained. "He told me that one day, you would need them again. I don't suppose you know their story?" Link shook his head no. "Well, this green one is the Kokiri's Emerald, and the ruby is the Goron's Ruby, and the blue is the Zora's Sapphire. They were the Spiritual Stones your father used to enter the Spirit Realm when he was a child. Apparently, they have some effect in the Underworld, or at least that's what I presume."

"So, this might actually not work?"

"Pretty much," Rusl responded honestly.

At least they had made it to the Underworld. They had reached the Snowpeak Mansion, where they had met the yetis. Link had managed to convince them to take him and his party to the entrance to the Underworld. Now, they were camping by the glowing blue entrance, making last minute preparations, such as figuring out how to kill the enemies living in the Underworld. Apparently, the yetis had just come back from the entrance when Link had found them, but the couple claimed they weren't escorting Midna and her party down, but actually a distant cousin of sorts. Really, it didn't matter to Link, as long as he found Midna…

* * *

Louise had first watch. After Midna had collapsed from exhaustion, and the Sol had split in two and been absorbed by Anghenfil and Epona's swords, they had agreed that the watch would be split between her and Epona. Anghenfil had reluctantly given her his sword to defend herself, so now she was absently polishing it as she observed the landscape. Suddenly, a movement in the corner of her vision caught her attention. She looked in the direction of some distant boulders and locked eyes with a scared child, cowering behind a boulder. Her heart went out to the poor dear, and she rose from her seat near the water, setting the sword down so she didn't scare the child. She walked slowly toward the child, not wanting to scare him or her. However, the child ducked behind the boulder at her approach.

"Shh," Louise said softly. "I won't hurrrt you—"

The child sprung on her from behind the boulder, knocking her down and clamping her mouth shut so she couldn't scream. Other child-like spirits approached, lifted her, and carried her away. Louise struggled against them, but they were too strong for her.

_We werrre ambushed…_ she thought.

* * *

I awoke to Anghenfil's battle cry. Though not the most pleasant sound to wake up to, I knew immediately something was wrong. Bolting up, I pulled out my dual blades and surveyed the situation. A horde of spirits was ambushing my party, jumping off of the wall onto us. They were small, but in this many numbers they were deadly. Where is Louise? I wondered, seeing the others fighting and rushing in to join them. Anghenfil was limping badly from a wound in his calf, trying to shrug off four spirits that were clinging to his neck. Even Junior was fighting, and fighting pretty well, too. I did a double spin attack to infuse the spirits with life and then kill them.

We were being overwhelmed, when suddenly a new roar entered. King Bulblin came charging into battle, his axe swinging violently. Surprisingly, his axe could kill the spirits. The tide of battle changed, and the number of spirits attacking us went down considerably. However, I was still in the thick of the fight.

"Behind you!" Epona and Anghenfil shouted at me.

I turned around to find a particularly nasty spirit about to gouge me with a pair of fangs. However, it was stabbed before I could react. And then it was stabbed again to kill it. It dissolved in a spray of dust to reveal Junior, panting hard and sword, extended. I smiled at him encouragingly. With a shriek, a spirit landed behind Junior and ran him through. With a yell, I killed it, and then caught Junior in my arms as he fell.

"No, Junior, oh please no…"


	12. Chapter 12: Plots

I am _so _sorry it took me over a month to write this. Luckily, the story is almost over.

* * *

Chapter 12

Plots

Blood seeped through the wounds in Junior's back, running darkly between my fingers. I searched his face frantically, looking for any sign of life. At last, Junior's eyelids flickered open, then closed, and his breathing became slightly stronger. I let out a moan of relief. In the corner of my eye, I saw Epona racing towards us, grief and panic shining in her eyes. I shook my head, smiling as tears caused by the fright pooled in mine. He was alive!

Epona crouched next to me. I could tell she was waiting for my instructions. I looked around for the others. Though Anghenfil was limping, he was otherwise unscathed. He and King Bulblin were finishing off the rest of the spirits, who were trying to retreat against the rock face. Then I turned back to Epona.

"I—I need some bandages. Perhaps an extra shirt. Please," I requested.

Epona nodded, and then rushed off. Junior began shivering soon after. "And please grab a blanket!" I called after her. As Epona returned, Anghenfil slayed the last spirit. His leg finally gave in, and he let out an anguished cry of agony. Epona tossed the supplies to me, then rushed to Anghenfil's aid. I tore the shirts and wrapped them around his torso. I hoped the fabric would stop the bleeding. I then swathed him in the blanket.

I carried Junior's limp form over to the wounded Anghenfil. He was bleeding badly from a gash, probably a bite, on the back of his calf. Anghenfil looked up at me, his fear reflected in his face. I didn't know what to do, but I knew that we had to stop the bleeding. Balancing Junior in one arm, I attempted to rip part of the blanket off as a bandage. King Bulblin realized what I was doing, so he came over to me and gently took Junior from my grasp so I could work with both hands. I thanked him with a tired nod. Ripping free a strip of blanket, I knelt next to Anghenfil and started wrapping the wound. Epona supported him on the other side. Eventually, the bleeding lessened. However, I knew that he would be lucky to ever walk again.

A light footfall warned us to a presence across the pool. Epona and I jumped up, all senses alert. Luckily, it was Colin. He surveyed the blood with one glance, and then met my eyes. I could see his worry.

"Ambush?" he asked simply. I nodded curtly. "Is Junior…?"

"He's alive, but just barely," I told him.

"And Anghenfil?"

"Bad bite from a spirit in his calf. We got the bleeding down, but it's bad." As if to prove my point, Anghenfil let out a quiet moan.

"What about Louise?" Colin wondered.

I looked around, having forgotten about Louise. "What happened to her?"

"She turned traitor," Anghenfil blurted through the pain. "I'm sure of it."

* * *

A shadow approached in the icy tunnel. Link silently drew his blade and gestured for the others to do so as well. The only person in their small band who didn't pull out a weapon was Shad, who instead reached in his bag and withdrew the three Spiritual Stones, holding them aloft in his hands. This was the moment of truth: if Rusl was right, they would be able to defeat the oncoming spirit; if not, they would die. At first, nothing happened. The tunnel stayed silent, illuminated softly by the strange glow of the ice, the only sounds being their rapid breaths. But, as the spirit drew closer, a white light began to emanate from the jewels.

Suddenly, the spirit stopped in its tracks, as if something had alerted its senses to the presence of prey. Link's heart beat loudly in his chest, and he was sure it was him who had given them away. He shouldn't be so nervous; he had killed hundreds of times. But this was different. This time, he was fighting the dead. Was it even possible to kill the dead? Well, they would soon find out.

With a cry like a bird of war, the spirit charged, sprinting around the bends in the tunnel as if flying. The white light of the stones flashed, and the spirit was stunned, but only momentarily. Link was the first to charge, raising his weapon high. The spirit regained momentum. It jumped, trying to land on his head to sever it from his shoulders, and as it jumped, Link slashed its abdomen. For a live person, this would have been extremely painful for their guts and intestines would have fallen to the ground, and blood would be gushing from the torn arteries. Instead, the spirit dissolved into dust in midair.

Link dropped his arm to his side. His three companions stared at him, waiting for his reaction. He turned slowly toward them, his breathing slightly ragged from the adrenaline. He said nothing, for he had nothing to say. Finally, Rusl broke the awkward silence.

"Well, I guess we know it works," he said humorously.

_But if it took three unique gems to kill a spirit,_ Link thought,_ how could Midna have survived?_

* * *

We had been walking for at least two hours before we stopped to sleep again. King Bulblin had graciously offered to carry Anghenfil, who could barely walk. Meanwhile, Epona and I took turns carrying the semi-conscious Junior, having just begun to emerge from the depths of his mind. Colin said he knew of a place where the shadowy monsters that flew overhead, the "Guardians", went to heal. We had no other choice but to follow him. Thankfully, no spirits attacked us.

The place we stopped at wasn't as easy to ambush, because it was atop a decent size hill upon a gentle sloping plain. Another, larger hill rose behind it, but there, cliffs rose around it, marking the entrance of a path. I gathered dry bracken to begin a fire with; it looked like my party could use a little light. When Junior was sleeping, I used my magic to light it. Within seconds, the bracken had burst into a cheery blaze. I could tell Colin was confused as to why I was keeping my identity a secret from the child.

"Ilia," I broke the long silence.

Colin looked startled, then realized what I was saying. He nodded in understanding.

Junior stirred in his healing sleep. I went over to him, sitting close enough to feel his heart faintly beating. His eyes flickered open, staring at the black and red swirled sky above him. I had a water canteen with me, so I gently lifted his upper half and held the canteen to his lips. He drank gratefully, emptying most of the life-giving liquid. I capped it when he was done, and returned it to the packs. I caught a glimpse of Epona, sitting across the fire with Anghenfil's head on her lap, gently caressing his hair between her fingers. I smiled to myself, then went back to my charge.

"How are you feeling?" I asked him.

"B-better," he said through cracked lips. He started to move to me, but I instead lifted him over onto my lap. I guess it made him feel safer, for he settled down, and his heart beat relaxed.

"Bob?" he asked, using my old nickname. "Can you please tell me a story?"

"Sure," I responded unsurely. "Hmm, let's see… a story…"

"Tell him the one about the hero, and the Princess of Twilight," Colin offered.

I shot him a glare, which King Bulblin saw and laughed at. Actually laughed! Junior perked up, "The one about my father?"

"Yes, the one about your father," I closed my eyes, recalling that heart-rending tale. "Where to start…"

"My mother, when she told it, always began with 'Once upon a time,'" Junior offered.

"Your mother told you this story?" I inquired, curious.

"Yeah, but my father didn't like it when she did," he responded, looking down.

_I bet he didn't,_ I thought, silently. _I wonder what lies she fed this child._

"Okay, then. Let's start at the very beginning: Once upon a time, the Goddesses created Hyrule," I began. "They even created the people. But, eventually, interlopers appeared, and mastered a dark and terrible power. Those evil ones wanted to become the most powerful in the world by obtaining the Triforce, the way to the Goddesses' Sacred Realm. The Goddesses, in order to preserve the peace and order, had the Light Spirits of the realm incase this evil in what was to be known as the Fused Shadows. The interlopers were then chased across Hyrule, until they were caught and banished to a mirror realm of Hyrule: Twilight. Told they were forbidden from returning to the realm of light, they prospered in shadow. They had children, and their children had children, until a new race was born. Like the humans and Hylians of Hyrule, these people, the Twilis, weren't evil as a whole. Actually, they became quite a peaceful people. They even had a ruling family. Well, generations later, when the king and queen died, the throne was passed to the princess, Midna. However, there was another, one of the few evil ones, who sought the throne for himself: Zant. Powerless before the ancient tribal magic Midna possessed, he ran out onto the balcony of the palace, screaming to the heavens for help. And help came. A powerful vision came to Zant of a man in black, who offered Zant immense power to conquer Twilight, in return for Zant's help in also conquering the realm of light. Zant agreed, and the man in black gave him a terrible power, which he then used to curse Midna, turning her into a weak, helpless imp, drained of most of her power. Embarrassed and ashamed, she fled her people. Naïve and selfish, she only wanted to free herself of the curse and free her kingdom of Zant, the usurper. She cared nothing for the realm of light, or of any other besides herself."

"I never heard this part," Junior broke in quietly.

"That's because not many have heard it," I responded. I was trying my best to be totally honest, even about myself. I realized a long time ago how horrible I had been, thinking of only myself. I had not only been selfish, but rude, belligerent, manipulating, and apathetical. I continued with my story.

"Meanwhile, your father, Link, was happily living in Ordon Village. Even then, the children of the village looked up to him." I looked at Colin, who had been one of those children. He nodded, encouragingly. "Anyway," I continued, telling him all I knew of Link's quest, even the painful parts about Ilia. I told him things that I shouldn't have known, but that Link had eventually confided in me. Meanwhile, I sugarcoated nothing about me, I mean Midna, telling him only exactly what I, Midna, had said and done. My entire party was hanging on every word I said, even though they knew most of the story, since they were all a part in it. I told him, while trying to keep the emotion out of my voice, how I, Midna, had almost died from the light of Lanayru, and how Link had gone to great lengths to save me, and Zelda had sacrificed her life to save mine, the life of a conceited imp. When I arrived at the touching scene of how Ilia had retrieved her memories, I could almost hear the disapproval from the adults in the party, especially King Bulblin and Anghenfil. When I had almost reached the climax of the tale, when Midna, I, was thrown across the throne room and fell unconscious to the floor, leaving Link to fend for himself, everyone gasped, even Junior. As I described the battle between Ganondorf and Link (which Link had told me about later as we had traveled to the Mirror Chamber), they all unconsciously leaned forward. Finally, I reached the conclusion, where Ganondorf died, Midna's curse was lifted, and she was able to return to Twilight. I finished with the conversation between her, or me, Zelda, and Link, and how she (me) stepped into the portal and shattered the Mirror of Twilight. This severed the link between Twilight and Hyrule forever, and they all lived _happily_ ever after.

"The end," I finished unceremoniously.

"That's it?" Junior complained.

"Yep," I said.

"But how could she just _leave_?" he protested.

I opened my mouth to respond, but Epona cut me off. "She left because she had grown from a spoilt, bratty imp into a caring, compassionate woman. She realized what was, at the time, the best for all of them."

I mouthed a silent thank you to her as Junior contemplated her words. "You know," he began, getting tired, "Midna isn't as bad as my mother said she was."

I smiled, and Junior drifted off to sleep. I laid him gently on the ground, and covered him in a few more blankets. As I settled down, the eyes of the others settled on me. I could tell they were eager to ask me questions.

"What?" I asked, awkwardly.

"I had never heard the whole story before," Anghenfil spoke first. "So, you really didn't care about Link at all?"

"Only at first," I told him.

"Was I really so horrible?" King Bulblin spoke in his deep, rumbling voice.

"Yeah, you were. Link really hated you," I said honestly. "Probably because you kidnapped his 'love,' or Colin, or both."

King Bulblin grunted, starring into the embers. The rest of my group was silent, and eventually we all (except Colin) dropped off to sleep. Of course, I was the last one to fall asleep, but there was nothing new there.

I awoke, stiff and sore from sleeping on the hard, red earth. Colin was sitting in the exact same spot as he had been when I fell asleep. The others were also starting to wake up. At a nod from me, we started to pack up all our things and put out the fire. When all was in order, I stooped, lifted Junior, and began walking.

Junior awoke a little later, jolted awake by the passage up a steeper part of the gorge trail. However, staying awake that long last night to listen to my tale had been an effort on his part, so he quickly drifted off to sleep again. The party was silent, because there was nothing to discuss.

At last, we rounded a corner to a clearing enclosed by the cliff walls. And the sight there almost made me drop Junior. In the middle of the clearing, there was a fountain of _blood_. Literally, blood. It spouted from the top of a black fountain, flowing down into a pool at its base. The red liquid was thick, but gurgled and bubbled like water. Blood stained the ground around the horrifying fountain, as if a great beast had slaughtered itself there and its lifeblood had replaced the fountain's water. The fountain was decorated with red-tipped claws, like many of the structures in the Underworld.

"Well, this is it," Colin said, almost triumphantly. I almost gagged, imagining that I could actually smell the rusty scent of blood.

King Bulblin and I approached the fountain, in some way supporting our wounded. Anghenfil managed to limp into the pool, where tendrils of ruby blood ran up his injured leg toward the wound. It looked like the blood actually entered the wound. There was a flash of bluish light, and the gash vanished. Anghenfil tested it, putting weight on his leg, but it was fine. No scar, not even a limp. I eagerly set Junior in it, even though the blood went up to his ears when he was laying in it. The tendrils of blood lifted him slightly while they entered his wound, and the flash of light illuminated his entire body. He drew a deep breath as he was lowered by the blood back into the pool, and managed to sit up.

"How do you feel?" I asked, kneeling next to him.

"Good," he said simply. "Like it never happened."

"Good," I responded, helping him up. Remarkably, his clothes weren't stained by the blood.

Epona rushed forward to Anghenfil, where by some sort of nonverbal communication he told her he was okay. It was touching, seeing them like that. I wished…I wished that could have been Link and me. I wished we could have had a life together. _Wow,_ I surprised myself, _I actually admitted it to myself._ _And now, I'm okay._

* * *

After much gleeful, yet somehow less light-hearted, bouncing around on Junior's part, we had continued to follow Colin to a shorter route to the looming palace in the distance. He led us down a shadowy, twisting gorge, always down. A few spirits greeted us with hissing warnings and threatening growls, but they all retreated into the shadows. At the end of our path, more than a day's walk, was a black door in a rock face, the frame was the red spikes that seemed to be the style here. The strange, forgotten letters were engraved on its surface, eerily glowing blue. We stood in silence as Colin touched its surface and gave it a light push. The door moved back, then slid to the right, revealing the cave beyond.

Colin stood politely by the door as we entered. The cave was extremely different from the one at the entrance of the Underworld. The ceiling was low, barely clearing my head, not to mention Anghenfil's. The floor was rock, almost a dull obsidian or shale; it was hard to tell in the dim light coming from the periodic pools of lava churning beneath the floor. The stalagmites and stalactites often formed columns, with trapped victims reaching out of their stony embrace for help. The faces were gruesome, the bodies distorted and twisted. I wondered how the living had come to be in this land. The smell of brimstone and burning flesh prevailed in the stale air. However, the most startling difference was that this cave, which was more like a tunnel, had several branches leading from it. It almost seemed like a labyrinth of tunnels, and I knew that we would be easily lost without Colin. I didn't like the situation, but it was too late to turn back now, not unless my party wanted to backtrack days of traveling. Which I somehow doubted.

"Follow," Colin said simply, already walking, or gliding, ahead. We obediently followed.

We spoke little in the caves. Perhaps the stench deterred conversation, or maybe we were too tired to talk. I could tell the rest of the party was silently starting to wonder what this quest was about. And now, thinking about it, it seemed silly to me, too. So what if one of the Sages was dead? Hyrule had survived, hadn't it? Yet, there was a feeling I had, in the pit of my stomach, that there was something much bigger than me that was going on. I had no clue what it was. So, instead of dwelling on the quest, I tried to memorize our route. After about ten right turns, eight left turns, and five forks, I began to lose track. Colin seemed to not even have to think about where he was going. Somehow, he seemed different than he had before the ambush. He seemed friendly, but… it was almost as if he was trying too hard. Maybe I was reading too far into things, maybe I was too shaken up by recent events, too jumpy. Something, however, seemed wrong.

We stopped for the night at a fork. Laying out our blankets and distributing food, I could see that we had already eaten half of our food supply. Perhaps, if I rationed it right, we would have enough to make it back to Snowpeak. Colin offered to watch for the night, so I, we, let him. We needed all the sleep we could get. I lay down on hard rock ground, feeling the vague warmth from the lava beneath. I quickly fell asleep.

I must have only been asleep for an hour before I awoke again. The rest of my party was still fast asleep; Anghenfil was lightly snoring near Epona. I sat up, trying to be quiet, and noticed that Colin was gone. I looked around for him, but he was nowhere in sight. However, there was a ghostly apparition standing in the right-hand fork, merely standing there. Its form seemed to be made of shifting mist, and it seemed to resemble a thin, yet broad-shouldered man. I met its, his, piercing blue eyes, so much like Link's. He merely stared at me, almost curiously, his body constantly shifting. Then he faded back into the shadows of the tunnel. I looked after him, confused. _Why didn't that spirit attack? _A sudden heavy drowsiness struck me, and I literally dropped to sleep.

When I awoke, Colin was sitting in the exact same position that he had been when we had gone to sleep. I rubbed my eyes, wondering if last night had really happened, or if it had been a dream. I decided not to mention anything to anyone. They might think I had finally lost it. We packed our things quietly; I realized we hadn't been talking much lately. Colin stood by, waiting for us. Once we all stood, packs shouldered, he glided down the left path. Something seemed odd about this to me, but I couldn't think of what it was.

We traveled for another day in that tunnel complex, turning and twisting through the passages. As the day wore on (I assumed it was day, but it was impossible to tell), I grew tired of the silence, and started talking. I told Junior an old legend from Twilight about the Sacred Beast. After that, Anghenfil shared a story from the Gerudo Desert. By the time we settled down to sleep, the entire party was in better spirits. Except for Colin. He actually seemed more solemn. Again, he volunteered to keep watch. Despite my offer to do it, he protested that he was fine, and that, since he didn't need sleep, it would be better for all of us. When he mentioned that he didn't need sleep, he sounded bitter. I made a face, but didn't protest farther. _What was going on?_

I awoke again that night. The misty spirit was there again, in the tunnel behind us. He looked at me again, and I couldn't help staring into his blue eyes. He gestured to the place where Colin was supposed to be sitting, but he wasn't there. I could tell the spirit was trying to tell me something, or warn me, but I didn't understand. He tilted his head, tendrils of smoke, or mist, or fog, curling around him. Then he faded back into the shadows. Was I supposed to follow? Would he show me where Colin was? I stayed with my party, for once in my life taking responsibility for others. So, I kept watch. Or, rather, I tried to. About five minutes later, I dropped off to sleep again.

In the morning, or whatever time it was when we all arose, Colin was there again. No one else was concerned with his odd behavior except for me. However, he dutifully led us onward, saying that we were close to the end. I had to wonder: _to the end of what?_

* * *

The first thing Link noticed was the blood. There were two distinct pools of blood staining the ground between the cliff and the small pool of water. Rusl was examining it with a trained eye while Link tried in vain to remain composed. If Midna or Junior was dead…

"It's not enough blood to have been fatal," Rusl assured him calmly. Link nodded mutely.

Near the cliff, Auru was examining something on the ground. He rubbed his fingers together, and a fine sprinkling of dust fell from them. "Spirits," the wizened warrior called.

"Um…_guys_!" they heard Shad call from amongst some distant boulders. "You need to see this!"

With a sick sense of dread, Link followed Auru and Rusl to where Shad and Ashei were standing, looking down at something. Link panicked. It was probably a lock of Midna's hair, or one of Epona's horseshoes, or Junior's hand-made sandals that Link had crafted for him on his eighth birthday… But, no, it was a pile of short bleach-blonde hair. Link frowned, confused. Then, he noticed the hairs formed a sort of trail. Curiously, he followed it, the others trailing behind. The hair trail weaved through the boulders, down some narrow ravines and then to the mouth of a dried river, cracked from the lack of water.

Unfortunately, the mouth was inhabited by a horde of child-like spirits. They almost immediately sensed his presence; they all turned and, hissing at him, charged him. A white light flashed behind him, temporarily stunning the spirits. His friends stood next to him, their weapons drawn and ready. They quickly managed to kill the spirits, despite their close resemblance to children. Link slayed the last spirit, barely having broken a sweat.

A muffled scream came from a slimy white pod near the middle of the riverbed. The walls stretched as its victim struggled to escape. He ran over, slicing the pod open with one swing of his sword. A woman slid out, covered in blood and the digestive juices of the pod. She coughed feebly, breathing in and out deeply. Link had never seen this woman before in his life. As the woman relaxed, she closed her eyes and, miraculously, started growing long, white fur. Her form shrunk, and suddenly the strange woman morphed into a familiar cat.

"Louise?" Link asked, incredulous. The weak cat let out a pitiful meow of confirmation.

"Okay," Shad said, staring at Louise. "Please tell me I'm not the only one that saw that?"

* * *

Colin stood by the last door of the tunnel, observing us.

"This is it," he said with finality. "The Palace is just beyond."

I nodded, grateful. Of course, Colin wasn't leavin; he was just going to lead us to the steps of the Palace, then wait for our return. "Thank you."

He opened the door with a touch, much like the cave entrance, and stood by to let us pass. I was the last to pass through. The space beyond was dark, almost pitch black. I could tell this was _not _the outside world of the Underworld; it was another cave. Colin had lied to us. I turned around, meeting Colin's eyes.

"Sorry, Midna," he whispered, then closed the doors. _Oh, Goddesses, no…_

We had been betrayed.

An eerily familiar, estranged laugh echoed in the darkness. "Princess, princess, still as naïve as ever, I see."

I moved to the front of my group in a vain attempt to shield them. With a snap, disturbing blue torches flared into existence. The tall, broad-shouldered, robbed figure approached. His creepy yellow eyes made him seem even more insane as the tassels danced over his double blades.

"Zant," I breathed, stunned. _No, this could _not_ be happening, not again._

He laughed, his high-pitched laugh echoing strangely in the cavern. "How easily you fell into our trap. We thought, perhaps, that you would figure out we had tricked you, deceived you. But, no! This was so much easier than it was last time!"

"Last time?" Junior asked quietly from behind me. I closed my eyes in disgrace.

"My dear boy," Zant stopped, "you didn't know you were traveling with the Princess of Twilight? My, my, Midna, we certainly _have_ gotten better at manipulation, haven't we?"

I turned around, seeing the horror written on his face. All I felt was regret.

"No wonder you can do so much magic" Junior said with disgust. "You're not even human."

I looked away quickly, before I began crying. "Leave them out of this, Zant," I demanded. "This is between you and me."

"Yes," Zant smiled. "Yes, it is."

With a crazed yell, Zant rushed me. I pulled out the Swords of Twilight, parrying his wild blows with skill I didn't know I possessed. However, in death, Zant was even more reckless and crazy than he had been in life. He slashed randomly and quickly, giving me only enough time to block. I had a feeling his blades were poisoned. Finally, I managed to try and slash him. He jumped backward, easily avoiding my swords, but now I was on the offensive. Luckily, Zant had no actual skill with a blade, so in a matter of a few swings, I managed to stab him in the stomach. White light burst from the wound. Zant gasped, but, slowly, a cynical smile crossed his face. He pulled the sword farther into his abdomen, inching closer to me, until he was centimeters away from my face.

"You know," he whispered seductively as the lines of his body began to become clearer as life returned to him, "you always had the prettiest eyes."

"What are you planning?" I demanded.

He laughed, his hot, sticky breath hitting my face. "I don't know. _He_ hasn't told me anything, Princess."

"_He"…_ _Oh, Goddesses…_

Zant flew backwards, using magic to propel himself off my sword. The wound bled light as Zant spun and struck even more wildly. I danced around him, trying in vain to find an opening. Zant laughed demonically as he circled me, blades whipping through the air. I was forced to parry with both my blades every time Zant struck. The force of his blows sent tremors through my arms; I could feel my strength fading. At one point in our vicious battle, I caught a glimpse of my party, huddled near the door. They were watching us, or at least looking in our vague direction, but they all seemed petrified. In my moment of distraction, Zant sprung, blades crossed to sever my head. I fell backward, crossing my swords to block him. He put all of his weight on his swords, trying to overpower me. A light shone from my right hand: the Triforce. I felt a renewed vigor in my limbs, so I kicked Zant off of me with a powerful blow. He slammed against the floor. I jumped on him, plunging my blades into his chest.

Zant laughed evilly as light shone out of his new wound and began spreading. "You should know, Midna," he said hoarsely, dying, "I will just be resurrected."

He giggled insanely as his body was engulfed in light. The light flared for a second, and then his body was gone. I had killed Zant. I looked up at my party, breathing heavily. Their eyes refocused on me, though none of them moved to help me. They all seemed distraught, even Junior.

I could only think of one thing to say. "Damn it!"


	13. Author's Note

_I am so, so, so, SO sorry I haven't posted since this summer! My computer crashed when I was right in the middle of the chapter, and I just haven't had the inspiration to rewrite it. However, I will finish it…if my homework ever lets up. Thanks again for the support!_

_~Roc Lammergeier_


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